Upside Down And All Around
by Itaweasel-hime
Summary: The entire situation was messed up, and she knew it. He knew it too. But to get what she wanted, to get him, she had to do the thing that made the least sense. M for a reason.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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><p>A gentle wind picked up her flowing, knee-length skirt, and she smoothed it down while impatiently staring at the revolving, glass doors. She hated to wait for anyone, but supposed that this time, she could not blame anyone but herself. He did not know she was waiting downstairs the corporate business building he worked in, despite it being a fairly windy day. He was one of her best friends though, and if anyone, he would be able to help her.<p>

She had known his younger brother long before she had known him, having attended the same high school. His moody, younger brother, her, and their mutual blond, knuckle-headed friend, had been inseparable for those four years, and even throughout college, they had remained close. Sakura had been a premedical student at the university when she had met him, five years her senior, and in the middle of getting a masters in business. At the time, she had not realized he was at all related to one of her two best friends, despite the very obvious physical similarities they shared. She wanted to laugh now, when she thought of how they had, quite literally, bumped into each other in one of the university's long corridors.

He had been speaking with another student in the same masters program, and had not been looking exactly where he was walking. She, on the other hand, had been carrying a stack of textbooks that was too mountainous for her to properly see over, and could not have seen him coming. Much to the amusement of the tall, shark-like student Itachi had been conversing with, they had walked right into each other, her falling onto the hard, tiled floor and her books scattering everywhere, while the man she had accidently crashed into had just barely maintained his balance. The glare he had sent down at her had been positively deadly, and invoked a juvenile sort of anger she had still possessed at the time.

According to most that had witnessed it, the yelling match that had followed to their having bumped into each other had been comical, but she did not think it so at the time. Now, of course, the thought of how they had fought like a pair of children was amusing, especially considering how close friends they had become in recent years. It was rare when they argued now, and when they did, it was usually over the most ridiculous of things, like who would be first player on the x-box, or what the best sort of coffee was.

She had grown to trust him more than most, and knew he felt the same. She really was lucky to have such a good friend, even if he was the most obstinate, self-righteous man in her acquaintance. Similarly, he had much to deal with, between her awful stubbornness, and constant need to show off. They had never really stopped being friends, however, and he was probably the only person she could possibly trust in this situation. Her reasons for choosing him were much more than that, though, but she could never tell him. He would surely walk out of her life, without glancing back, because it was not something he was looking for.

Finally, Itachi emerged with the crowd of nine-to-five workers returning home. He worked for his family's corporation, and when his father retired in the next few years, he would be the CEO. It was a huge responsibility, and she knew that sometimes, he wished he had studied something besides business, and gone into a completely different field, because he was not enjoying having members of his family around him all the time. She could not blame him, because most Uchiha were unbearable to be around, besides himself, his brother on occasion, and his cousin, when he remembered to take his medications.

"Hey, Itachi!" She called, grinning widely and waving her arm. She was quick to catch his attention, not that she was surprised, and a dozen other heads turned to watch as he approached the casually dressed, pink-haired woman that had just hollered his name. With a teasing smirk, Itachi removed his fedora and bowed.

"To what do I owe the honor of your untimely visit?" He asked, straightening his back to tower a good head and a half above her. Sakura rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out to counter his unwanted sarcasm. He, in turn, shook his head with exasperation, unable to keep the small smile from gracing his features. It was strange, the sort of effects the girl had on him, without even trying.

Smartly, she asked, "Do you have any plans tonight?" Sakura looped her arm around his, starting towards the street.

"No, but I'm expecting an aggravating call from my mother tonight, and if I go bar-hopping with you, I'm not going to be home in time to answer it." Itachi replied dubiously, giving the smaller woman a knowing look.

She smiled back up at him innocently. "I promise you will be home in time to hear your mother nag about how much you belong back at home, even if it's more convenient to live in Tokyo." She said, before adding, "Besides, I have only one bar in mind, and I'm not in the mood to get wasted. I only want to talk to you about something."

Itachi sighed, knowing there really was no out of it. Between Sakura and his mother, he would much rather spend his evening with his pink-haired friend. "Very well, then. If you insist." He relented.

Pleased, Sakura raised her hand, hailing a taxi with little effort.

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><p>Itachi glanced about the bright parlor, not sure if he was amused or irritated by her loose definition of a bar. He certainly had anticipated a more sophisticated establishment, with a different sort of crowd, to be sure. This was Sakura though, so he should have known she would have something utterly ridiculous up her sleeves.<p>

"You know," he muttered from where he stood in line, "when you said _bar, _I didn't think you had meant an _ice cream bar_, where there are more children than adults."

Sakura elbowed the impossible man. "Itachi, when are you ever going to learn to have fun? I know you have a sweet-tooth, so there's no point in denying it. This place is much better for us to talk in anyway, considering what happened last time we tried to have a peaceful conversation in a bar." She accused.

Of course, she was right. He had no idea how, but women had the tendency to gravitate towards him whenever they had gone drinking together. Naturally, it bothered them both to be eavesdropped on, so an ice cream parlor probably was better, since most of the women there were with their children for a treat, or still in high school, and much too young to be interested in Itachi. It was also true that he had a taste for sweets, since most of his childhood, he had been denied anything that was not strictly nutritional. Itachi supposed he could live with it.

"I know how to have fun," he defended instead, frowning slightly. She did not reply though, shooting him a doubtful look, before she was addressed by one of the girls working behind the counter, serving ice cream. Itachi huffed, eyes dancing with mirth as she excitedly made her order, asking for different samples of flavors, and getting an array of toppings. He shook his head, trying not to laugh as she asked for extra whipped cream for her sundae.

Sakura turned back at Itachi as the ice cream girl went to him for his order.

"Vanilla ice cream, please." Itachi said evenly, watching with a hawk-like eye as the girl nervously scooped the ice cream into his cup.

Sakura nearly screeched with her annoyance. "See what I mean, Itachi? That's no fun at all," she scolded, before speaking to the girl with his order. "Give him some chocolate fudge and whipped cream on top. A cherry might do him some good too, don't you think?" She asked, winking. The poor girl, still in her teens, anxiously looked between them, not sure exactly what to do.

"Sir?" She asked, hoping that he would agree with the woman who had just ordered before him. She looked like she would fight to the end, to get what she wanted.

"I don't need anything extra," Itachi told the girl, before sending Sakura a subtle glare. "For a doctor, you don't pay much attention to what you eat. Do you tell your patients to get mountains of toppings as well?"

Sakura looked at the confused girl. "I'm paying, so get the fudge and whipped cream. I'll deal with his temper tantrum." She said gently, before glaring back at Itachi. "I haven't had a sundae in two years, so I think I can afford to treat myself. Besides, I'm not that kind of doctor. Last I knew, ice cream was not a cause for cancer."

Itachi could see where this was going. Already, people where listening in on their bickering, and if they started yelling, they probably would be kicked out. Growling to himself, he relented. "Very well. Do as she says," he told the girl, before proclaiming, "Next time we play Halo, I'm first player. And we're playing on legendary."

Sakura gasped. "That's not fair! We aren't negotiating about that, because you already agreed in the taxi that I would pay for everything, so I got to order whatever I wanted. Heroic, and it's a deal, but legendary kills me every time, especially when we get to the Flood."

Itachi had half the heart to tell her she had been leading him on, because he had been under the impression that they would be going out for cocktails, which was much more expensive than a few sundaes. He had to contemplate over it for a moment though, before sticking his hand out to shake on it. Cackling to herself, she gripped his hand, before adding, "Dibs on rocket launcher ammo."

"You're dealing with the Hunters, then." Itachi said, taking his cup of ice cream, and following her to a small table in the back corner of the parlor, where they would attract the least attention. She turned back at him to stick her tongue out again, crossing her legs elegantly as she sat, taking a second to taste her strawberry and chocolate ice cream swirl. He took the seat across from her placing his fedora on the table top, while shrugging out of his suit coat to be more comfortable.

Itachi watched with quiet amusement as she popped her maraschino cherry into her mouth, chewing around the stem carefully. After a minute of concentration, she pulled the stem out, and placed it, now knotted, onto the tabletop.

"So, what's this all about, Sakura?" He asked at last, flicking the knotted, dyed-red stem from the table. Her first response was a long, heavy sigh, and she took a bite of ice cream that was much too large to fit in her mouth, as if she were trying to buy herself some time to properly answer him. Itachi's eyes flickered from the whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles around her mouth to her hesitant, emerald eyes, before she innocently licked her lips clean. Naturally, the thought entering his mind at seeing that were far from pure.

Finally, she met his gaze. "Before I tell you anything, you should know that what I am going to request of you is awkward to an extreme, but in all honesty, you are really the only one I could ever trust. I don't expect you to understand anything at all, but please consider your answer fully, before downright refusing. I'm almost at the end of the line on this, and I'm afraid to wait much longer."

Silently, he nodded his head in agreement, somewhat startled by the seriousness of the situation. He was almost afraid that something was wrong, that someone was dying, and that she needed help with fixing the problem at hand, whatever it was. Itachi did not like seeing her so anxious, and hoped he really was capable of assisting the woman who had become one of his best of friends. If he had his wish, they would be more than just friends, but he could hardly tell her that. She would run for the hills, because he was certain she only wanted a kindred spirit to lean on, and nothing beyond the platonic relationship they already shared. He would not ruin something he already cherished so desperately.

"I had thought, by now, that I would be married, or at least on the path of that, and I had hoped to have a child." Sakura started, her voice only just above a whisper. "You already know that I haven't been in an official relationship with anyone for over a year and a half, but I haven't even had sex with someone in almost seven months. Maybe it's my own fault, but if it goes on like this, I will start to get too old to bear children, and I don't want to be one of those parents that are already fifty when their child is still going through school. I'm already thirty-three as it is, and I know you're probably thinking that isn't very old at all, but if I keep waiting like this, hoping that _the one _will get off his ass and get down on one knee, I'm never going to become a mother."

Itachi could only stare at her. He still was not sure where this was going, but he was mortified of what it could mean. She obviously had someone she felt was _the one, _and was upset that he had not yet made her an offer. Itachi felt his chest tighten at the thought of someone else becoming Sakura's husband, but he knew he had to tell her it would work out in the end, that he had to comfort her somehow.

"Sakura, I'm sure that he will figure it out eventually. He won't let you slip by so easily."

Sakura felt tears gather in her eyes. Had he no idea just who she was talking about? It was probably best he did not know, she realized, but it still hurt that he had never been able to comprehend her feelings for him. They had known each other for over a decade, and she knew him better than anyone else in his life. He knew her just as well, or so she had thought, but still he did not consider that he could be the person she believed to be _the one._

Dabbing her eyes, Sakura sniffled. "Trust me, he doesn't think of me like that. He would never want a more intimate relationship with me, not if he could help it."

Itachi reached his hand across to place it on her shoulder. "Then he is a fool."

Sakura was very tempted to laugh at this, despite the sorrow she felt. She had thought she would be able to handle this, but she supposed not. "Yes, he's an idiot," she agreed, "but that is not what I wanted to speak about with you." Sakura said.

"I'm tired of waiting for this to happen, so I have come to a conclusion. I don't want to be artificially inseminated, Itachi. The only reason I came to you was because I knew you would understand how I felt about that, if anyone did. While I have complete confidence in modern medicine, I don't believe that's the way it should be done. I'm not expecting much, and I completely understand if you refuse on principal. You will never have to be involved with the pregnancy, or any of the upbringing, and I don't need child support, or anything like that."

Itachi felt his throat go dry. To say he was tempted by what she was suggesting was an understatement, but at the same time, it would feel selfish of him to take advantage of her, even if it was at her request. She did not want him, he was the last resort, and he should have been insulted by that, but this was going to be his only opportunity to ever be with her, and he could not let his chance go.

"You want me to have sex with you," he breathed, his head swimming. "You want _me _to help you produce a child."

Her answer was simple. "Yes, I do."

With that, she stood, unable to so much as look at her half eaten sundae anymore. "You don't need to give me your answer now. If you make a decision by nine tomorrow night, come to my apartment. If not, send me a message, so I know you won't be coming."

Itachi stared after her helplessly as she left the small establishment. So many things could be ruined by what she wanted from him, but he knew he had to give her what she wanted. Every part of him longed to touch her, to taste her, to become her mate and impregnate her, but he would always know in the back of his mind. She wanted this man, _the one, _to be the person she conceived with, and it was not him.

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><p>All day, Sakura had been checking her phone anxiously, to see if Itachi had gotten back at her to say he was not interested. Part of her could not comprehend why he would not want to help her. He got to have sex with a perfectly willing female without having to work for it or pay anything, and he was not going to be held responsible after impregnating her. What did he have to lose? Surely the thought of having sex with her was not so unappealing.<p>

He never did send her a message though, and she was left to assume that he was going to come to her apartment, after all. At nine, she paced the small hallway to her flat, dressed in a simple bathrobe. He had no reason to expect her to dress up for him, so she did not have an excuse worthy to bring out the lacy lingerie. She had not realized the ten minutes that had passed as she walked back and forth, and nearly jumped when hearing the doorbell chime.

As expected, Itachi stood on the other side, looking for once in his life, as if he were uncertain. That expression disappeared the moment their eyes met though, and relief washed through her. He was going to help her. And at that point, that was all that mattered.

Mutedly, he stepped in, taking a look around the familiar apartment. She opened her mouth to speak, but he lifted his hand, silencing her. Itachi already knew it was best to keep it simple. "Where?" He asked.

Sakura bit her lip, taking his hand and leading him down the hallway she had just been pacing, before entering the bedroom. To think, he would be the first man in seven months to sleep with her. It was such a long time to go without, and part of him wondered how she had ever survived.

Gracefully, she stepped closer to him, removing his fedora for him, then his glasses, before unbuttoning his coat and helping him out of it. Slowly, she tugged off his red tie, then untucked his white, button-up shirt. He watched as she unbuttoned that as well, removing the material, then as she unbuckled his belt, and unzipped his pants. It was only then that she paused, as if needing his permission to continue. Itachi stepped out of his pants, removing his socks, and allowed his eyes to scrape along her form. He knew she probably was not wearing anything at all beneath her robe.

Curious to see if his prediction was true, Itachi carefully untied the knot at her waist, removing the small belt, and watching intently as the material of her robe parted, revealing that she was, indeed, not dressed under her bathrobe. A stripe of pale skin made itself visible down her body, showing him first the creamy skin of her cleavage, her flat stomach, then the patch of dark, curly hairs that protected her most sacred of places. Her eyes fluttered up at him, as if she _knew _he had just become determined to bury himself there so many times in the next few hours that she would be incapable of walking in the morning.

Then she let the soft material fall from her body completely, displaying her dainty, feminine curves, and rounded breasts that were already perked with excitement. He could already feel himself growing hard at seeing her like that, so unbelievably vulnerable to him, and utterly unafraid of what he could do to her. Not that he could ever hurt Sakura without causing pain to himself.

"Get on the bed," Itachi murmured, eyes unable to stop looking at her as she turned and walked away from him. She sat on the edge, uncertain of what she would do. For the moment, he was in charge, and could take her in any position he wished. She tried to keep her eyes on his as he moved closer to the bed, but had a hard time looking away from his erection, making itself known through the thin, dark material of his boxer shorts.

He must have realized just where she was looking, because a moment later, with a prominent smirk on his face, he had bent over to tug the boxers down. Sakura inhaled sharply, surprised by how..._large _he was. She was no virgin, but the thought of him inside her was enough to make her squirm. He had always been extremely attractive, but never before had she seen such a beautiful man. Itachi was much more muscular that she had ever recalled, but still had the narrow hips and lean body she adored.

Feeling slightly embarrassed by how she had been inspecting him so closely, she let her eyes gaze upwards, meeting his shockingly heated look. Liquid heat pooled together in her lower abdomen, her breathing already becoming heavy. The strange thing was, he never said a thing, as he arranged her limbs in the way he wished, with her bottom in the air, her knees propped apart and her back arched in such a way that her face was pressed into the bedding. He was still silent as he dipped a finger into her core, and dissatisfied, reached around her to tweak the small, hidden, pink pearl that would trigger so much pleasure that she could not help but gasping. She had already been wet, but after he wriggled his long, slender finger around that small bud repetitively, she knew her arousal was starting to drip down her legs.

Sakura was panting by the time he finished his pleasuring assault, and moaned when he, again, inserted his finger inside her. Pleased, he moved his hands to grip her hips, holding her steadfast as he just barely pressed the tip of his erection to her core, letting her fidget with anticipation first. She tried to inch herself back, towards him so that he would enter her more fully, but he kept her still, wanting her to writhe with impatience first.

She was shocked when almost suddenly, she felt completely full with him. It was as if the air had been knocked right out of her, and she struggled to catch her breath again. Sakura could never have prepared herself for how wonderful it felt as he moved within her, and she tried so desperately to keep him there, but he exited her, leaving her empty. Adjusting her legs slightly, she was readied the next time he thrust into her, making room for his girth. His hands seemed to burn on her hips, the contact of skin more than enough to drive her mad with intoxicating pleasure.

Then, she suddenly heard it. His voice, deep, animalistic and rumbling from inside of his chest; he _growled. _All she could think was _oh, dear god,_ before she let loose a cry of delight he had triggered in her. He had been so quiet before that she had almost been concerned, because really, she wanted him to be just as enraptured by their joining as she was. In reaction to all this, he pumped faster, overtaken by instincts and needing more. Sakura clenched her fingers on the bedding beneath her, needing to hold onto something, or she would lose herself completely, and she was not ready for it to be over.

Sweat began to trickle down her face, their coupling strenuous and pushing her closer to her end. She had to bite her tongue to hold the screams in as she felt it near. His voice was labored and hot when he spoke at last though, giving her a simple command she dared not disobey.

"Sakura, look at me."

Biting her lip, her head turned to look at him, and seeing their bodies connected so intimately had been too much for her to handle. Only a moment of seeing his rigid length thrusting in and out of her from behind had been enough to push her over the edge. Her shaky gasp was all that could be heard as her slick walls clamped down on him hard, holding him so tightly that his own climax was eminent. He let out a guttural groan as released with his next thrust, holding himself there so that she took in every bit of him.

As he left her, she collapsed onto her side, fingers still gripping the blankets. Carefully, he inched towards her, moving strands of pink hair from her sweaty face, and appreciatively gazing at her smaller body. She had been an even better mate than he had expected, and Itachi already decided that he would have more. Even if, at first, he had been somewhat worried about going to her apartment to give her the child she desired so desperately, he suddenly wanted it for himself as well.

He was thirty-eight years old, and for years, his mother and father had been urging him to find himself a wife, and to procreate. They wanted him to produce an heir, to continue their Uchiha line. Surely they would never approve of his doing this with a woman so wholly unconnected with their ancient clan, especially since Sasuke had deviated from that path years previous, in marrying a once Yamanaka Ino. For him, the eldest son, to do that as well would be more than just frowned upon. His father, who was traditional to an extreme, would never accept Sakura, when he had been pushing distant cousins in his direction for years.

Sakura, as his pregnant mate, would be attacked beyond all reason. There was no Haruno clan, and she was of no descent. He was uncertain if he could protect her from what his family would do. His mother may be open to the idea of new blood in the family, as long as it meant she got grandchildren to dote on, but his father would never consider their child to be an Uchiha. Did he want his own child to suffer rejection because of his selfishness?

Of course, Itachi had no idea that Sakura would ever wish to become legally united through marriage. Even if she had been physically satisfied by their copulation, she still had someone she was attached to emotionally. He could never possibly tear her away from that, and force her into something she had no desire to do. All she had wanted was to bear a child, and he had agreed to help her with that. There had been no talk of tying themselves together completely and indefinitely.

Sighing, Itachi unfolded her clenched fingers, observing her mildly as she regained composure, her chest rising and falling slowly.

"Sakura?"

Her response was quiet. "Hmm?"

"The full-length mirror in your hallway; go get it."

Sakura sat up immediately, shocked and blushing at his order. "Itachi, I've never-

"Go get it," he repeated, interrupting her flustered statement. This time, she did not dare disobey him, getting up and crossing the dimly lit room, not returning until she had the tall, framed mirror. When she had come back into the bedroom, Itachi had sat himself against the headboard, pillows all tossed to the floor, and her bedding completely thrown back, so that there was only the fitted sheet on the mattress. He had her lean the mirror up against her small desk, before signaling her over to him.

With ease, he had lifted her, then placed her so she straddled him. "We are going to do this until there is no way I _haven't _impregnated you."

Sakura nodded her head, understanding. She supposed she was lucky he was willing to stay late into the night. Eye lashes fluttering up at him, Sakura smirked devilishly, shifting her hips slowly, and rubbing him in such a way that would drive him mad. He ground back up at her, his hands running along the insides of her thighs.

Itachi was rather delighted with her reactions to him. She was quick to learn why he had the mirror brought in, so that she could see their bodies fused, and her orgasms came more easily. It got to a certain point where there was no thought to it at all, and was only impulsive aggression. At that point, it had been, simply put, fucking. And he had adored every last second of it.

She had started off slowly, when he had demanded that she ride him, moving herself up and down at a pace that was nearly torturous. As he began to thrust upwards into her, she seemed to take the hint, and decided to hell with being gentle. She had picked up speed then, not caring that her backside made a loud slap against his thighs each time she landed, and that her soft breasts were jumping up and down with enthusiasm. The best part, however, was when her moans of pleasure slowly turned into absolute screams, and when her face contorted beautifully as she reached her high.

What had originally been somewhat sane turned into something too animalistic. He had, plainly, fucked her in so many ways that she could hardly move or breathe, and her muscles became stiff. Considerate man he was, he lifted her from the bedroom and into the bathroom, admiring for a moment the expensive jacuzzi tub within. With the air pressure on, and her muscles more relaxed, he took her again. He should have been exhausted, but he still had not found satisfaction, no matter how many times he emptied himself in-between her milky thighs. She kept up with him though with a ferocity he had not expected from her.

The entire experience, though, had felt so impersonal to him. Throughout their several rounds of mind-blowing sex, not once had they kissed, or even gotten close to each other's faces. He was not sure if he should change that, but as he gently wrapped a towel around her slight bodice, and reentered the bedroom to see her laying on her back, legs lazily outstretched, he could deny himself no longer.

It should have been only one kiss. He had leaned down to her level, and pressed his lips to hers, as simple as that. Then she had kissed him back. She had wrapped her arms around his neck to keep him there, her towel falling away from her body. He had curled his arms about her, his tongue sweeping the inside of her mouth before gliding against hers, and the mewling sounds that came from the back of her throat had spread a certain warmth through him that had not been there before.

It was so sweet, he moved his mouth to the elegant curvature of her slender neck, then to her breasts. She raked her fingers down his back, and before either of them had the power to stop it, they were clawing at each other, trying to get as close as physically possible in their lovemaking. It was nothing like it had been before, and Itachi could not figure out why. Sakura was on the verge of crying, because she had wanted him to kiss her so passionately before, but could never have asked him.

* * *

><p>"Itachi, have you ever been in love with someone?" Sakura asked softly, tracing the contours of his chest with gentle fingers as they basked in after-sex glory.<p>

He did not lie. "Yes, I have."

She smiled sadly. "Are you in love with anyone right now?"

Itachi paused, uncertain if he should tell her the truth, but found that he had to. "Yes," he admitted quietly. She froze for a moment, looking up at him in confusion.

"Yet you agreed to have sex with me?" Sakura questioned in bewilderment.

He met her eyes ruefully. "I'm afraid that my love remains unrequited. She has no idea that I'm attracted her."

She continued to run her fingers over the planes of his flat stomach. "She must be an idiot too, then. We have the worst of luck."

Itachi chuckled. "Yes, she has her moments, but I would never consider myself unlucky for loving her."

Sakura nodded in understanding, curling up against him in contentment. She had to take advantage of her situation the best she could.

* * *

><p>Three weeks of silence. Three weeks of not knowing what had happened, what the result of their actions had been. Itachi hoped that this meant she was, indeed, pregnant, and that she was happy because of it. Still, he had thought she would have at least had the decency to let him know. Even if she had claimed it was unnecessary to be at involved with their child's life, he still wanted to know if he was to be a father.<p>

That was when, at last, his secretary called him. _"Uchiha-sama, there is a woman on the line for you. I think she's crying."_

"Did she give you a name?" He asked in disinterest. It was not uncommon for a woman to call his office, trying to reach him for god knew what. Itachi could not understand for the life of him how he was so capable of attracting desperate, easy women, when he could not get the woman he loved to realize how much he cared for her.

"_Yes, sir. Haruno Sakura. I told her you were busy, but she said it was important. Otherwise I would not have bothered you."_ The woman drawled tiredly. She too, knew just how many ridiculous calls her boss could get, and could not see how this one would be much different.

Sakura was crying? "Put her through, right now. Clear my schedule, if you can."

"_Yes, sir."_

The line was silent for a moment, before it connected. "Sakura?" Itachi asked into the receiver. "Are you okay? What happened?"

He heard a long, shaky sigh before she answered him. _"Itachi, I know I said you wouldn't have to do anything but help me conceive, but I just can't do this alone." _Sakura sniffled over the phone.

"Calm down, Sakura," Itachi hushed. "Just tell me what happened, all right?"

"_Well," _she sniffed, _"I just took the pregnancy test."_

That could not be all, he knew. He saw no reason for her to be so upset, unless it had shown that she was not pregnant, after all. Itachi could hardly see how that was possible though, after how long they had spent together, tangled in her sheets. "Is there something wrong? Did it turn out to be negative?" He grasped at, standing subconsciously with his anxiousness.

"_I don't know!" _Sakura sobbed. _"I took the test, but I can't look at it. I was hoping you could come over at some point and just tell me if it turned out negative or positive."_

Itachi swallowed. "Stay where you are, okay? I'll be right there." He murmured, already putting his belongings into his briefcase to leave.

"_Thank you, Itachi. I don't know what I would ever do without you."_

He huffed, smiling to himself tiredly. "It's no problem. Just wait a few minutes and I'll read it for you."

Her response had been something between laughing and crying, and the call ended with that. Pulling on his coat as he walked through the cubical neighborhood outside his office, Itachi rushed down the twenty-five flights of stairs, being much too impatient to wait for the elevator, even if it would have probably been a lot faster. How he had managed to catch a taxi without any problems was beyond him, but the driver seemed to comprehend his urgency, and took a short-cut he had not even known existed to Sakura's apartment building.

The door to her twelfth-story apartment had been unlocked, and instead of scolding her for it, Itachi entered without permission, and rushed to the sound of her crying; the bathroom. She was sitting on the edge of the tub, her face buried in her hands, before it shot up with his entrance. She started to stand, but he pushed her back down gently, cupping her cheeks and kissing the crown of her head.

Trepidation shot through him as he saw the test sitting on the toilet water tank, across the bathroom. Wordlessly, he stepped up to the toilet, picking up the pregnancy test to read its results. Whether he was shocked by what he saw or not, Itachi did not know, but his heart thumped loudly in his chest, at seeing the distinctively red plus sign on the small screen. For a long moment, he stared at it, unsure if what he was facing then was reality or not.

"Sakura," he whispered, "it's positive."

She stared at him in shock, before she smiled brightly, and looked down at her abdomen. She giggled softly, palms pressed to her flat stomach. "Itachi, I'm having a baby." Sakura grinned, looking back up at him. He chuckled softly, joining her at the tub, and curling stray locks of pink hair behind her ear.

"Yes, you are," he agreed. It was more than that, though. She was having _his _baby.

* * *

><p>Two months, and <em>that <em>was when she really started to understand the trials and tribulations of being a woman. Menstrual cramps she had always been able to handle, but morning sickness was something else entirely. The day had been going so nicely, too, and she had reached nine-thirty without any hitches. By then, she had already been at the hospital for an hour at least, as head of the oncology department. Sakura was not even sure what had triggered it, but she had been speaking to a nurse, before suddenly bolting down the hallway in the direction of the nearest restroom to empty her stomach.

She had not had a particularly large breakfast either, eating only an orange and half a toasted peanut-butter sandwich. Either way, it had not looked pretty on its way out. Clearly, the baby was not a big fan of her favorite breakfast, if she was vomiting it back up.

Unfortunately, she must have frightened the nurse whom she had been speaking to before making her mad dash to the toilet, because a few minutes after her disappearance, her best girl friend, and fellow oncologist, Ino, entered as well. Sakura had no doubt that the nurse, in her concern, had gone to Ino so she could check if she was feeling okay. She was not in the mood to deal with her friend, not after she had been hiding the pregnancy so nicely. If Ino knew, the entire _world_ knew.

"Forehead? You in there?" She heard Ino call, her high heels clicking on the tiled floor. "Poor Meiko-chan said you ran in here with your hand over your mouth," Ino added.

Sakura groaned from the handicapped stall, hesitantly unlocking it. "I'm in here, Ino-pig," She muttered, knowing it would be best to get telling Ino the news over with, before it became obvious. Hopefully, her blond friend would be able to keep the secret to herself, at least for a month.

"Dear god, Sakura," Ino said under her breath as she entered the larger stall. "Don't tell me that you're hungover. You've been coming to work sober for as long as I can remember."

"I'm not hungover, Ino," Sakura answered calmly, hand gripping the front of her shirt as she regained balance.

Ino rolled her eyes at how unbothered her friend looked, stepping over to place the back of her hand on Sakura's forehead. She frowned with disappointment. "You don't feel feverish to me either, not that I expected you to be. It would be much stranger if you arrived to work sick than if you showed up with a hangover. It would shock the world."

Sakura smiled though, much to her surprise. "I'm not sick either, Ino," she murmured softly.

With that serene smile, and the way Sakura's dainty hand drifted to rest over her abdomen, it suddenly struck Ino, just what was happening. Disbelief washed over her in waves. Ino had always known that Sakura wanted a child of her own, but she could not believe that it was possible. Surely her friend had to know that being a parent alone was difficult, but raising a child as a single mother was even more complicated. She and Sasuke would always be there to help her, at least whenever possible, but Sakura would always feel strained, without the presence of the father.

"How many weeks along are you?" She asked at last, not wanting to tell Sakura she was stupid to get pregnant, without being in a permanent relationship, especially with the glowing expression on her face.

She positively beamed at her. "I'm eight weeks in. The first ultrasound is scheduled to be in another two weeks. I wanted it to be sooner, but I couldn't get the time off, and there isn't an opening until then."

Ino nodded her head, trying to smile, for the sake of her friend. "Who's the father?"

At this, she saw Sakura's face fall, much to her surprise. Ino had wanted to hope that the father in the situation would have asked for her hand, after impregnating her, or at least offered to move in with her, to help care for their child, but that did not appear to be the case. She had been afraid that Sakura would be left to herself in the care of the child in question.

Sakura had not realized how hormones could truly effect her emotions, until tears started to collect in her eyes. "Ino, can't we leave it at this, with you knowing I'm pregnant? Without you knowing who the father is? I don't know if he would want me telling anyone, least of all you."

"First off, _no, _I need to know who he is." Ino frowned, "Second, I didn't even know you were pregnant until now, when your first trimester is more than half over, even though I should have been the first you told," she accused with a pout. "Last of all, why the hell would he care if _I _knew? Do I know him, or something?"

Sakura looked away in embarrassment. "Please, Ino, don't do this. I can't tell you, even if you didn't know who he was."

She did not need to look to know that Ino had her hands on her hips. "Sakura, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. You know just what I'm capable of, and I am not afraid to make flyers with your face on it, asking, _who knocked this chick up?" _Ino threatened, adding with complete seriousness, "I'll even use the candid shot of you stumbling around after the Christmas party two years ago."

Sakura blushed a violent, tomato red. "Please, Ino, understand me a little. If you knew who it was, you would throw a fit, and so would Sasuke, when you went to tell him." She whispered, rubbing her teary eyes with her sleeves. "I'm sure you'll be able to tell who the father is once the baby is born, so can't you wait until then?"

Ino's answer was simple. "No, I can't."

She saw how distressed her friend was, though, and hugged the crying woman. Ino understood how emotional a person could become throughout pregnancy, having already had two children of her own. "Sakura, this is _me _talking. We've known each other since grade school. You can tell me anything, and if it really bothers you, I'll keep it between us, and not even let Sasuke know that you're having a baby, okay?" She ignored the dubious look Sakura gave her.

Sakura let out a long, shaky sigh, and already, Ino knew she was going to relent. "If I tell you this, I understand if you feel the need to tell Sasuke who the father is, but I don't want anyone beyond you two to know yet, if at all." Sakura said, waiting for Ino to nod her head in agreement. "It is also possible, though I doubt it, that the father has spoken to Sasuke about it already."

Again, Ino nodded, to show her understanding. Sakura sucked in sharply.

"Itachi is the father."

Sakura watched, wondering if she should laugh at how wide Ino's eyes became at hearing her utter such a thing, or if she should be concerned, because her friend was so shocked by the news. It was rather startling, she supposed, for Ino, since Sakura had never told her of the fatal attraction she had for Itachi, even through the year that she had such feelings. After such a long time to be attracted to a man though, Sakura knew it was time to tell Ino, since this was what she was there for. To jump for joy with when love first struck, then to cry with when it came to an unfortunate end. No one else had ever done this with her, and Sakura saw it appropriate for her to share this with Ino now, even if the timing was off.

Ino gaped in disbelief. She hardly knew how to start. "Itachi, as in, my brother law..._he_ fucked you? What the hell is going on? You never told me until now!"

Sakura shrugged, trying to remain indifferent to the situation. "There was nothing to tell."

Ino shrieked in indignation. "Like hell, there isn't! No one has sex with people, with _friends_ they've had for ten years, unless it's absolutely serious! Not unless they seriously want to fuck up the relationship! And it had better be serious, because that's an Uchiha you're screwing around with. Trust me, they don't fool around with stuff like this, especially if he got you pregnant! Does he even know that you're having his kid?"

Sakura bit her lip. "Ino, it isn't like that at all. We weren't fooling around for the sake of it. He knew that I was pregnant before I did."

"What then? Were you _trying _to have a baby?"

Sakura was silent, and Ino, stunned, stared at her again. Sakura knew she did not have to explain much further, but suddenly had the urge to do so anyway.

"I told Itachi that I wished more than anything to conceive, and when I said that I did not want an artificial insemination, he agreed to help me. I knew I could trust him more than anyone else in the world, and I was right. I promised him that he would never have to trouble himself with anything else, and that I would never ask him for support in raising my baby. Even then, when I was too afraid to dare look at the pregnancy test, he raced from the office to read it for me because Ino, he's my best friend. I don't think I would have anything to live for without him."

At this point, Sakura's face was covered with tears, and feeling somewhat helpless to her friend's pain, Ino got a piece of toilet paper to wipe her eyes. "Sakura," she asked quietly, "are you in love with him?"

Her sobs, in return, were enough of an answer.

"Oh, Sakura, why couldn't you have done this the _normal _way? You should have told him that you had feelings for him, and let it go from there! Now this is the weirdest situation I have ever heard of, and one of my dearest friends is stuck in the middle of it. I'm sure, if you told Itachi that you loved him, he would return your feelings." Ino tried, rubbing small circles into Sakura's back as she cried into her shoulder.

"No, he wouldn't have! I was tired of waiting for him to make a move after a year of me dropping hints he ignored, or simply didn't catch. I wanted to be a mother, and he was kind enough to give me that, but he would never feel the same way I do. I've already heard him say that he's in love with someone, and I know that it can't be me, or he would have said as much."

Ino did not agree, but decided it best to not voice her opinion. No one, least of all Itachi, would ever have sex with a woman with every intention of impregnating her, if he felt nothing for her. Sakura would have shot this idea down the second she heard it though, because she was determined to have no hope in her situation. Besides, Ino was quite certain now, that Itachi had meant he was attracted to Sakura when he said he was in love with someone. Itachi was a hard man to read, but generally, men were rather predictable.

She had to say something, though. Or rather, she could not say nothing. "Sakura, I'm sure it will work out, in the end, right? I'll go with you to your ultrasound appointment."

Much to her surprise, Sakura shook her head. "No; Itachi already said he wanted to come to the first ultrasound when we first learned that I was positive, and I said he could." She answered, sniffling, before standing straight again, apparently feeling better. "Thank you anyway, Ino-pig."

Ino rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Forehead." Either way, that alone had just proved to her where her brother-in-law stood.

* * *

><p>Apprehension rose in him as he approached Sakura where she sat on a bench opposite the hospital. It was her day off, so she was dressed casually, with jeans and a red top, instead of the business clothes she wore at the hospital. He hardly knew what to even say to her, standing awkwardly with his hands stuffed into his jeans pockets. What he wanted was beyond appropriate, because he was not sure how she would receive him pulling her up and kissing her silly. She was too adorable for her own good.<p>

"There is something you should know," Sakura murmured softly, slowly getting to her feet, before realizing just what he was wearing. She snickered to herself. "Only you would wear a _polish death metal band tee_ to an ultrasound."

His eyebrow rose in amusement. "You know _Behemoth? _I approve," he commented lightly, before giving her suspicious glance. "What was it that you were going to tell me, before you were so throughly distracted by my awesome shirt?"

Sakura knew that Itachi was not going to be happy. In a lapse of weakness, she had allowed the biggest gossip in her acquaintance to know what should have been a secret between herself and Itachi. She should have had the foresight to ask him how he felt about others in their circle of friends knowing that she was carrying his child, but it was too late now. The damage was done, and she should have considered herself fortunate that no one had approached her about the matter yet. At least Ino had done a good job of keeping it to herself, so far.

"Don't be too upset with me, but I told Ino that you were the father, when she figured out I was pregnant." Sakura said quietly, emerald orbs looking up at him through rose eyelashes. She was glad he did not appear too upset by what she had told him, and so she linked arms with him, walking him to the entrance of the hospital.

He sighed softly, before smirking to himself. "Then, in that case, I hope it won't bother you that my cousin, Shisui, knows as well."

At that, Sakura froze. "Woah, you told _Shisui? _And I haven't had masked, ninja assassins sent after me yet by your family? I mean, I was suffering from morning sickness and my hormones were controlling my emotions when I told Ino, but what was your excuse?" She inquired in complete seriousness.

Itachi rolled his eyes, pushing the front door open. "Sakura, you know already that the Uchiha have not sent shinobi out to do their dirty work in well over two centuries. Your concern is both unfounded and insulting. And even then, ninja were only hired because noble, samurai families that had once served the emperor had been taken out of the scheme of things." He informed her haughtily.

Sakura huffed, sending him a delirious glare. "Thank you, Itachi, for the history lesson. I already know that all you Uchiha are extremely proud of your noble heritage, so there's no need to brag. Just because your family were members of both the _Oniwanbanshu _and _Shinsengumi _a million years ago does not mean I want to hear all the stories I've been hearing from Sasuke and you for forever."

"_Anyway," _Itachi muttered, "Shisui isn't going to tell anyone in the family, I assure you. He may be stupid, but he isn't _that _stupid."

Sakura decided it was best not to argue with him. At least they could agree on one point. Shisui _was_ stupid. Only slightly annoyed with the man at her hip, and partially wishing she had asked Ino to come along as well, so she could at least have someone on her side of their arguments besides herself. She probably heard all sorts of things from Sasuke, considering she was married to the irritating man.

Deciding to ignore him all together, she entered the clinic, stringing him along as she went. With a smile, she addressed the nurse at the front desk, conversing casually for a moment, seemingly at ease in the environment she found herself in. Itachi should hope she felt comfortable within the walls of the hospital, since she worked there. He then found himself being led into a small waiting room, and observed Sakura as she nervously fidgeted.

She was clearly anxious to get the ultrasound over with, and he had to wonder if his presence somehow added to her nervousness. He did not want to think it was possible for her to be worried around him, since they had been so close for such a long time, but it seemed to be the case. After they had made love to each other in her apartment, and she had curled her naked body next to his, he had thought being together would have been simple. That time they had spent together after their lovemaking, innocently touching each other, _learning _each other, had proven to him that they were compatible. He had wished she saw it the same way, as well.

She appeared relieved when her name was called though, and with an excited grin, she squeezed his hand. They were led to a small room, where the nurse said Shizune-sensei would join them soon. To her word, another woman, with short, brown hair entered the room, assumedly the Shizune whom had been mentioned not five minutes earlier.

"Sakura-chan! Are you really my patient?" The woman asked, clearly familiar with her.

Sakura gave her a sheepish look. "Yeah, I am. Does Tsunade know about this yet?"

"She _is _your godmother, Sakura. Tsunade has already asked me to report everything that happens during your appointment, in the off-chance it was really you, and not some other Haruno Sakura. She's worried about you, you know, since you never told her about this personally. Imagine her shock." Shizune said gently, before sending Itachi a skeptical glance. "I don't believe I know you, but I'm Shizune," she said evenly. "Is it safe to assume that you are the father?"

Sakura looked as if she had been about to answer for him, but he spoke before she could even open her mouth. "I'm Uchiha Itachi," he returned, "and yes, I am the father. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Sakura bit her lip, embarrassed as Shizune shook his hand. She had never dared dream Itachi would admit he had impregnated her so easily. In her mind, she had prepared herself for anything, coming up with explanations to why he was there with her, because she had never imagined he would want anyone to know the truth. He seemed to have no qualms in telling people though, having first shared the news with his cousin, and now with Shizune, who was the closest person she had to being a sister.

"Well, in that case, I'm glad you could come, Uchiha-san," Shizune smiled. "I always believed it was best for parents to experience first seeing the fetus together." She added, busy with readying the equipment. The room was then quiet as Sakura laid herself back on the clinic bed, the only sound being the crinkle of paper underneath her. Wordlessly, Shizune rolled up Sakura's red top to just below her breasts.

Sakura gasped slightly at the feel of cool gel against her bare skin, subconsciously seeking Itachi's hand. He found hers though, gently rubbing the pad of his thumb over the top of her hand. Itachi did not look down at her, and she was fine with that, because she could not look at him either, with her gaze fixated on the screen. Slowly, the image cleared as Shizune focused the device on a specific spot.

"Well, there's the fetus," Shizune sighed warmly, glancing from the image to the two adults who were staring at it in awe. "If you want, the genitals should be developed far enough to know the sex."

"I want it to be a surprise," Sakura said back, before asking, "Do you mind?" As she indicated the sonogram device.

"Only for you, Sakura-chan."

"You know, Itachi," she murmured as she took the handle from Shizune, "I was originally studying to do this, before going into oncology. It always seemed so magical to me." Sakura said, unintentionally moving the device elsewhere, only freezing at the sound of Shizune's startled gasp.

"That was a second heartbeat!" Shizune exclaimed, easily maneuvering the device back over to the spot she had seen moments before. Stunned, Sakura stared at the indistinct image to realize Shizune had been right. "My god, Sakura, I can't believe it...but it's obvious now." She breathed.

Confused, Itachi looked first at Shizune, then to Sakura, for some sort of explanation. They were both too distracted to notice however, and he was not allowed to understand just what had shocked the two women so much, until Shizune had focused the device on the screen to show him as well. He was too astonished to voice just how he felt at that moment. There was certainly excitement, and happiness for both himself and the woman who was gripping his hand so tightly, but how to express this was beyond him.

"I suppose a congratulations are in order then, Sakura-chan, Uchiha-san." Shizune finally said, in a daze. "You're having twins."

* * *

><p>AN: Yeah, this was something that's been bothering me for two weeks, and I had to get it out of my system. This is only the first half (or so) but I should have the second part up at some point. Consider it a belated birthday present to everyone's favorite Uchiha. :) No, I haven't forgotten about Heartbeat yet, so don't worry. I'll get to it eventually. Stupid muse. So damn bossy, sometimes.<p>

Anyway, all feedback is greatly appreciated. Drop a review, and feed the starving artist! :D


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Yet.

* * *

><p>Itachi had not been able to tell if Sakura had been pleased or not by the news, by how stunned she had looked. It had hardened his resolve, though, because he knew, no matter what she had told him, it was his duty to care for his expecting mate, and their progeny. He had wanted this before, but at her slightly fearful expression, Itachi had recognized it as more than a responsibility. Sakura may have been afraid of having to raise two children on her own, not that Itachi would ever allow such a thing. He was not yet sure how, but he was going to tie himself to her. Legally. He was going to make her long for him as much as he did her.<p>

Everything had been done out of order, but the way Itachi saw it, it was better late than never. He was going to court Sakura, after having already bedded her, having already planted a seed in her womb. He did not care what he had to do, because deep down, Itachi knew that he loved her. He had the upper hand in the situation as well, because even if her heart lay with another man, it was _his _children she was carrying. She already loved him too, Sakura just did not know it yet.

Sakura had let him walk her home that day, with her apartment building being not three blocks from the hospital, and in a haze, she had, again kissed him back when he had pressed his lips gently to hers outside her door. The silent look she had sent him as she had closed the door to her apartment had distressed him, because amiss all her bewilderment, she was terrified to be alone, and she had been too afraid to ask him to stay. Itachi would have, but he did not want to push her, when she was in such a state of amazement. Longing to see her, even as he stepped away from her apartment, Itachi had let her be, so she could think.

It was a week later that he could wait no longer. He had always been an impatient sort of man, when it came to getting what he wanted, and in this case, it was no different. So, dressed casually, he had gone immediately back to her small flat, in hopes of seeing her shining face again. How she had known, Itachi did not know, but as he reached the door, there had been a post-it note, clearly for him.

_Itachi, at pool-_it had read. Again, he was annoyed with her blatant lack of concern for her own safety, and felt the urge to scold her for it. He took the paper, hoping that no one beside himself had seen it, before returning to the elevator, taking it to the roof. Closing his eyes, he waited through the ride up, clenching his teeth in an attempt to calm himself. It would not do to be angry with her, even if all he was worried about was her well-being.

It did not take very long for him to find her, considering she was the only woman laying out that had obnoxious, pink hair. Arms crossed, he stopped in front of her pool chair, giving her an amused look. She had large, Hollywood sunglasses that reminded him more of a bug than anything else, with how large the lenses looked on her face, and a red bikini with black trim. He supposed she was the epitome of fashion, but he thought personally that the petite woman was much more glorious wearing _nothing at all._

Her eyes must have been closed behind the sunglasses though, because she did not address his being there. Itachi would not have been surprised if she were asleep, with how motionless she lay there, soaking up the sun's rays. Carefully, he sat at her feet, moving her legs slightly to make room for himself.

"Hey, what's the big idea, asshole? This is clearly my spot, so-

Sakura froze, propped up onto her elbows to see the entertainment dancing in his eyes. Her cheeks burned a bright, endearing red. "Oh. Hello, Itachi."

"Good afternoon, Sakura," he answered smoothly, leaning in to lightly touch his lips to her cheek. "How are you feeling?"

She smiled gratefully, sitting up completely. "I've had better days, but I'm glad you came." Sakura admitted shyly, uncertain of what she should think of the look he was sending her, and the kiss he had just given. With a sigh, she continued. "I shouldn't have acted so rude last week. I was just a little shocked by the thought of..._two." _She whispered softly.

Itachi allowed himself to smile. "I understand, Sakura. I could never have imagined that we would produce twins, so there is no need to be so concerned. I think we both needed some time to think." _Not really. _He paused, before delicately asking, "How is it that you knew I would be coming to see you today?"

Sakura had not known. She had been hoping, more than anything, that he would show up at some point, seeking her out again. She had wanted him all throughout the week they had been apart, but she had bothered him too much as it had was. Sakura could never have asked him to come over to her apartment just to hold her, when she had already asked so much of him. She should have been thankful for what he had been willing to give her, but she felt selfish for his company, and jealous of the woman whom he was so in love with.

At first, she had not put much thought into it. Itachi had every right to love someone besides her, even if it hurt to think there was a woman who was capable of catching his attention, when she had failed to. Then, it had felt so cruel of him, to have feelings for someone other than her, whose heart belonged solely to him. She loved him so dearly, and he could only think about that other woman, who was too stupid to even love him back. Itachi deserved better than that. Sakura could never give him her opinion, but she felt it acutely.

Her grin was mocking. "Woman's intuition," she said seriously, before adding jokingly, "and of course, it helps to have psychic powers. My _'Itachi senses'_ were tingling this morning."

He rolled his eyes. "Sakura, does it cause you physical pain to be serious, just once in a while?"

"Yes," she retorted. He gave her an annoyed glance, though, and she dropped her saucy grin. "I didn't know you were going to come, but I figured you would want to get the chance to see my ass get kicked at Halo eventually. It's been three months since we made that deal, you realize."

He hummed with agreement. That had been the night she had first gone to him, begging for help. Itachi would never forget anything about what had happened in that short hour they had spent together. "Yes, as I recall, you claimed the rocket launcher ammunition, and refused to play unless it was on _Heroic. _I still say _Legendary, _but I wouldn't want you to slow me down too much." He smirked.

Sakura smacked his arm playfully. "No need to rub it in, Itachi. We both already know you're better at Halo than I am."

"You know," Itachi commented, decidedly changing the subject, "you have to be the worst doctor ever. First the ice cream, and now you decided to sun bathe. As an oncologist, I would have thought you would avoid the sun like a vampire."

Sakura huffed, getting onto her feet slowly, before picking up the white towel she had laid on top the pool chair. "I have a Vitamin D deficiency, and I hate taking pills. I figured spending an hour at the pool once a week would be fine." She snapped, throwing the towel over her shoulder. "Besides, _I'm _the oncologist, so I would know how long is best to spend in the sun without causing cancer, thank you very much."

His lips curled upwards with mirth, and Sakura knew then he had only been teasing her again. She exhaled, wondering if he knew just what that sort of expression was capable of doing to her. It warmed her insides with a delight she had only ever felt with him. Unconcerned, Itachi wrapped an arm around her waist, perfectly aware of the impression he was making. Of course, she had no idea how easily she attracted eager males to herself, and Itachi was a possessive sort of man. As far as he was concerned, Sakura was already claimed.

She did not mind that he had curled his powerful arm around her waist, his hand heated on her bare skin. Sakura did not understand it either, but she decided not to question it, and enjoy the intimacy while she could. There was no telling when he deemed it too much, and disappeared on her. She was surprised he was hanging around her, knowing at some point, she was going to become the mother who was too preoccupied with her dearest babies to have the sort of fun they had been used to.

"So, are you up to the challenge? I think we can get through the whole game in one night this time." Itachi asked, leading her to the elevator. Sakura could hardly refuse. Especially not if he had every intention to leave only when they had gotten through the entire game.

She laughed, though. "Hey, pregnant lady here. I'm not pulling any all-nighters, you hear me?"

* * *

><p>True to her word, Sakura had not stayed up past eleven. Of course, by nine-thirty, their remote controls had been tossed aside, her coffee table shoved elsewhere, and what had been her tackling him in frustration at first, had been quick to turn into something much more carnal. It had not been Itachi's intention, but, in this case, he had not been the one to instigate the situation. It had led into one of the most wonderful nights of his life.<p>

Whatever the case, she had pounced on him, and for once, she had been the one to hungrily kiss him. One thing had led to another, until he found her beneath his larger body, her legs spread out like eagle wings. Itachi had never realized what it was like to have sex with a pregnant woman until then, and with how sensitive she was, it had been beyond enjoyable. She had cried his name so many times, her voice had become hoarse, and he had exhausted his little mate so much, she had been lulled to sleep, resting on the living room floor and nestled in his arms.

Unashamed of his nudity, he had carefully detached himself from her soft, slender figure to turn off the x-box and television set, before effortlessly picking her back up and taking her into her bedroom in the back of her apartment. He told himself that he should go, and let her wake up without having to worry about being embarrassed about him. Seeing her alone, curled up in the sheets, however, had been too much. He could not bear to imagine her waking up in the morning to an empty bed, feeling abandoned.

So, he had slipped under the comforter as well, pulling her smaller form into his chest and breathed in her sweet, fruity and floral scent. Itachi could not fall asleep, not with the armful of woman he had pressed against his bare body. She had been completely satisfying with their lovemaking, but now, he just wanted to admire her beauty without having to hide it. There was something wrong with what they were doing, and he was perfectly aware of that.

He should have never agreed to help her, not the way she wanted him to. Itachi wished he had simply told her how he really felt, instead of feeling the necessity to keep it from her. If he had done it that way, telling her how much he loved her, before they had created twins together, it would have been much easier. Waiting to make their relationship official until later would make things look bad, and even if he did not care much about _his _public image, Itachi did not want his family to attack her, assuming he only would marry her so that he did not have to father a pair of bastards.

Feather light, he grazed his fingers along the feminine curve of her side, before moving pink locks of hair from her heart-shaped face. Her lips were swelling from his rough, abusive kisses, and his eyes caught with pride the reddish bruise-like marks he had created along the slender column of her neck to the base of her throat. Pleased with himself, he ghosted his lips over her ears, before sinking down into the covers of her bed, drinking in her warmth and heady, addictive scent.

* * *

><p>She stood motionless outside heavy, oak doors, wondering if entering the office was really worth the trouble. Sakura supposed she had no choice, since she had waited so long, and her godmother had finally summoned her to the office, determined to speak with her. Why she had avoided Tsunade for so long, Sakura was beginning to question. She had no doubt Tsunade was going to have a yelling fit, for not being told sooner.<p>

She was every bit her daughter, as Tsunade was more of a mother than hers had ever really been. It had been years ago, so it did not bother her so much, but since the age of eleven, she had grown up under Tsunade's watchful gaze, and had her to thank for becoming a doctor. Sakura would never have been interested in medicine, if it had not been for seeing Tsunade run a hospital for most of her life.

Guilt ran over her, because she really should have gone to Tsunade sooner. The coward she was, Sakura had been afraid of what her godmother and mentor would say, at mere mention of the name _Uchiha. _As she glanced down at the small bump making itself visible, she knew it was her own fault. Sakura should have spoken to Tsunade about her plan long before it had even happened. Now she was a month into her second trimester.

Sighing in defeat, she pushed the oak doors open, stepping inside the roomy office Tsunade had been given as Dean of Medicine. She smiled weakly, trying to remain calm as she crossed the room, and took a seat before the large desk Tsunade worked at. Golden, honey eyes shot up at the sudden entrance, before honing in on the pregnant woman that sat opposite of herself. In all honesty, Tsunade wanted to hear the entire story of how Sakura had gotten herself pregnant. She deserved some sort of explanation.

"Good afternoon, Tsunade," Sakura whispered, meeting her gaze anxiously. Tsunade sighed, shutting the laptop on her desk, and lacing her fingers together on the desktop. "I'm guessing you want to know how this happened," she added, indicating her growing abdomen with a gentle hand.

Tsunade scoffed. "I sure as hell do. You should have told me about Itachi a long time ago, before he got you knocked up."

Sakura blushed, silently agreeing. "It wasn't like that, Tsunade. I'm not in any relationship with Itachi."

She had to wonder if that was even true, though, considering what had happened last time he had visited her at her apartment. Sakura could not deny that he had returned each of her kisses with such affection it made her heart ache. He had taken it farther, making sweet love to her on the carpet of her living room, disregarding everything else besides her. The memory still warmed her insides, how wonderful it had felt to have him hovering above her, his sinful lips latched onto her skin.

Tsunade nodded her head. "Of course not. You're just having his kids." She muttered sarcastically. "It's perfectly normal to have sex with the guy you've considered to be your best friend for the better half of ten years, right?"

Sakura did not have to ask to know if Tsunade was at all angry with her. She could never blame her, though, for her disappointment. "If I explain what happened, will you calm down about Itachi?"

Tsunade had to think for a moment. Itachi was, to his own fault, an Uchiha. Tsunade was familiar enough with that damnable clan of self-righteous, pompous men who deemed themselves so above everyone else. She had gone to the same high school as Uchiha Fugaku, after all, and if that were not enough of an excuse to curse the Uchiha name, she did not know what was. They were all unbelievably good looking, naturally, and loved taking advantage of the people around them. She would not have been surprised if Itachi had done just that, having sex with Sakura just because he could, and she was there.

"I suppose I have no other choice, do I?" Tsunade asked rhetorically.

Sakura smiled, shaking her head. "You should know that Itachi was not taking advantage of me." She said, ignoring Tsunade's dubious look. "If anything, _I'm _taking advantage of him."

That seemed to shock Tsunade so much, that she would be silent for what she needed to say.

"You already know that I've been close to Uchiha Itachi for years, since we met in college. Now that I look back on how things have always been between us, it seems inevitable that I would fall for him. We were together more than we were apart, back then. Stupid me, though, waited until know to realize how I felt about him." Sakura murmured, her cheeks warm. Tsunade had never approved of their friendship either, and had been more displeased each time he had showed up at the front door, asking where _that pink-haired brat _was. Itachi had always been a teaser.

She cleared her throat. "Anyway, a year ago, I decided he was the only one who could possibly ever love me in the same way I loved him. So I started to drop hints. You know better than anyone else that I want to start a family, and he's the only man I could possibly do that with."

Tsunade could not help pitying the girl, for her want to have children to love and care for. Her parents had been ripped from her at a young age, and she had barely had the chance to get to know them before they had both died in a tragic car accident. Tsunade had seen the girl suffer over the accident for years, and was well aware how it had affected her. Sakura, since turning twenty, had concluded that she would one day have children of her own, to make up for the lonely years she had spent as a child. She wanted to be loved, to be able to see something she created grow up and be happy.

"When he failed to realize just how I felt, I knew I had no other choice." Sakura sighed sadly.

"You managed to seduce an Uchiha?"

She laughed at that, shaking her head. She wished it were as simple as that. "No. I told him I wanted a baby, and I asked him to help me conceive. He agreed."

Tsunade stared at the pink-haired woman in astonishment. She had never begun to even think the likes of Uchiha Itachi would sincerely be interested in Sakura. She could think of no other reason for him to agree to such a preposterous plan, because she had enough experience to know that no man, no matter how well Sakura knew him, or who he was, would ever agree. They were clearly meant for each other, if they both were such idiots.

"Sakura, are you sure that Itachi doesn't know how you feel about him?"

Sakura's smile was absolutely grievous. It was almost too painful for Tsunade to look at. "I'm not sure Itachi hasn't figured it out now, after all that's happened, but it doesn't matter, because I know he's in love with someone else."

Golden eyes narrowed with suspicion. "He told you this?"

"I don't know who she is, but I would be able to tell if he loved me. After...the first night, when the twins happened, he said his love was unrequited. If he had any feelings for me, he would have said so then."

Tsunade doubted that. She had never sat down with the Uchiha in question, and had a proper conversation with him, but she could figure easily enough that the girl he believed felt nothing for him was Sakura. It was unusual for a woman to simply ask a man she had known for a decade to get her pregnant, rather than admitting how she felt to his face. How else was he to interpret her feelings?

She could not tell Sakura this, though. If, as she believed, Itachi was in love with Sakura, then he would do something about it himself, and it would be best Sakura heard his proclamations from his lips. Tsunade sighed.

"Sakura, you always seem to love doing things in the wrong order."

* * *

><p>Itachi was uncertain of where his concern for Sakura stemmed from, but he felt worried for her. All the time. He knew what it had to mean. Itachi had to spend more time with her, to check in on her. She was already four months into her pregnancy, and he hadn't seen her since the time they had played Halo, before...participating in less innocent activities.<p>

He really had to stop giving her so much room. He was afraid to smother her, though, and did not want to push her away in the process. So, he had called her. She had not been busy, and was quick to invite him over. Itachi did not want to hope that she had missed him as much as he had her, but her tone had been desperate for his company. At this point, he had his own key to her apartment; after their last incident, they had decided it best he have a copy, if he was going to come over so often without calling before hand.

She had been in the kitchen when he arrived. He was not sure what to think, upon entering such an interesting scene. From what he could tell, Sakura had been snacking on some baby carrots as she cooked. Why she had decided to bake a cake for dinner, was beyond him, but she had a bowl of chocolate frosting she had made herself cradled in her arms. Apparently, the idea of using frosting as a dip for carrots had occurred to her as she had been waiting for the cake to bake.

He leaned on the archway into the kitchen, watching in bewilderment as she happily snacked on chocolate-covered carrots. Itachi could vaguely remember what sort of cravings his mother had had when she had been pregnant with Sasuke, but as a five year old boy, it had not left such an impression on him. This, however, he doubted he would be able to forget.

Finally, she looked up, lips curled adorably around a slender finger as she sucked it clean of frosting. Her face was covered with powdered sugar and cocoa powder, undoubtedly from when she had made the frosting. Amused, his eyes caught the smear of thick chocolate across her cheek. He stepped forward as she embarrassedly set down the mixing bowl, letting both hands fall to her sides. Much to her astonishment, he leaned in to lick her cheek clean.

"A little too much butter," he commented softly, referring to the chocolate frosting. She was so flustered, she had to struggle to find the words she wanted to say.

"It makes it more rich." She replied slowly, trying not to choke. Unconsciously, she lifted a dainty hand to her growing abdomen, pointing out to him the difference between how she had looked last time he had seen her, and how she looked then, glowing in feminine splendor. Her hair seemed to give off a healthy shine, and her face, though covered with ingredients for frosting, was more clear than when she had been in college.

He wondered what she looked like naked.

It was obvious her body was changing beautifully to make room for the fetuses nestled in her womb. It was absolutely glorious, and a certain pride he had never experienced before spread through his chest, because it was him that had caused such alterations in her. Her stomach, though not yet particularly large, had grown quite a bit since when he had seen her last. A surge of absolute adoration heated his limbs.

His voice was so low, she had almost not heard him at all. "Sakura, would you mind...can I see?" Itachi's gaze had been so affectionate, she had hardly known how to respond. She nodded though, carefully hopping onto the one counter that was not covered with baking goods. Slowly, he approached her, not bothering to wonder what she must have thought of him.

Itachi untied her apron, setting it aside, before lifting her shirt, rolling it up just to the curve of her breasts. Her skin was pale, despite whatever tanning she had been doing previously, and the fine, light hairs of her stomach stood on end when his warm, large hand pressed gently to her skin. He stretched his fingers out as far as they would go, holding her in his palm completely. His eyes flitted up to hers for a second, before he bent over to lightly touch his lips to her abdomen.

It felt as if he had to relearn her body again, each time he saw her. That had to stop. Itachi wanted to see the changes as they happened, to know what every inch of her body looked like, without having to ask permission first. It was getting to the point of being ludicrous. They were dancing around each other in circles, and perhaps they had been for years. Now, however, when she was in such a delicate state, and needed him to be at her side more than ever, he had to put his foot down. He had to forget the fact she was in love with someone else, and simply take her. Sakura belonged to him, now.

Humming against her skin, he asked at last, "Are you hungry?"

Sakura laughed as he stood erect, and still towered over her. "Why do you think I started to bake a cake?" She asked back, eyes bright with entertainment as he easily lifted her from the countertop to set her back down on her feet. She rolled her tee back down over her stomach, smoothing away the wrinkles with care.

Curiously, he switched on the oven light and got onto his knees to look inside at the cake. He chuckled slightly at what he saw. "I believe you may have put in too much baking powder. Did you follow a recipe at all?" Itachi snickered.

Horrified, Sakura tugged him away from the oven to open its door, looking inside to see a monstrous _thing _growing inside. It hardly counted as a cake anymore. "Dammit, that's going to take forever to clean out!" She wailed, before staring at Itachi as he laughed. Apparently, he found it humorous that she was going to have to get on her hands and knees for hours to scrub her poor oven clean again.

She shut off the heat in defeat, looking again at what would have been a cake, if she had bothered with a recipe. It looked so pathetic, she could not help laughing as well. "I really suck at this sort of thing, don't I?" She questioned rhetorically, wiping away tears of laughter from her eyes.

"That's okay," Itachi murmured softly. "I think your cake..._thing _is cute."

Sakura blushed. "Shut up, Itachi!" She slapped him flippantly, unappreciative of his teasing.

It went without saying that it was necessary to got out to eat, since all she really had in the house was a bowl of frosting, baby carrots, and packets of instant miso. While Itachi did not approve, he understood that she spent most of her day at the hospital, and that she bought her lunches, and sometimes her dinners, there, and when she did come home, she usually brought take-out with her, being too exhausted to cook. He was no different, in that case, because after a long day at the office, he just wanted to pick something up and put the television on to watch the news.

He had watched his little mate as she ate half of a pizza, then drank more iced tea than he had thought possible. Incidentally, it was quite amusing for the waiters to see a small, pink haired woman in a T-shirt and yoga pants eat more than expected for her petite size, while sitting across from a man dressed in an _Armani_ suit.

Sakura's excuse: she was feeding three. Itachi dared not argue.

* * *

><p>It always seemed so strange, how Sakura managed to run into people she would be perfectly glad not seeing for the remainder of her life, in the most unusual of circumstances. Yet, she managed to cross paths with the man who, at this point, almost two years previous, had been her significant other. The relationship she had with him had not lasted longer than four months, and it was Naruto who had introduced him to her, at his wedding reception on the day he married Hinata.<p>

When she had broken up with him, he had disappeared from her life altogether. Why he had decided to reappear two years later, Sakura did not know. But she did not want him back.

If Ino had not had the day off, Sakura would never have even seen him, but looking at his face again reestablished all her feelings for Itachi. That was not to say he was particularly bad looking, but Sakura did not find herself attracted to him in any way. To some, he would have been considered quite handsome, but she simply was not interested, and wondered why she had ever had a relationship with him.

He had knocked on the door to her office wordlessly, and Sakura had never imagined that it could be him, of all people. "Come in," she had said in a bored tone, her head bent down over a stack of paperwork she needed to get filed by the end of the day.

The door opened, then shut, and she was much too busy to really care who it was. Her visitor stood silently, as if waiting for her to give him the attention he believed he deserved. Signing something, she set aside one of the files she had managed to get through. "How may I help you?" She asked, her voice almost contradicting what she had just said, finally looking up.

Seeing him standing there so cozily in her office, Sakura froze.

"How have you been, Ugly?" He asked cheerfully, wearing the same smile he always had. Shocked, she set her pen down.

"What are you doing here, Sai?" Sakura asked back, not sure of what else she could really say to him.

"I've been well, thank you for asking," he answered seriously. "I finally got my gallery opened in Osaka, but it looks like you've been getting places as well."

Sakura groaned. The man was such a puzzle to her. He did nothing but make her run around, trying to figure out what he was saying. "That isn't what I asked." Sakura told him bluntly.

"I heard what you asked me, but in light of the situation, by the rules of society, you should have asked me how I was doing, as well. I addressed that instead." He replied frankly, that eery smile still plastered on his pale face. Sakura grit her teeth together. His regulations on what was socially acceptable had always annoyed her.

She huffed. "Very well then, I have been doing rather nicely. I became head of the Oncology department around a year ago. Now, can you tell me what the hell you're doing here?"

She watched as he angled his head curiously, eyeing her left hand. "Ugly, it appears you still haven't gotten married yet." He commented slowly, before saying, "I never liked how our relationship ended."

Sakura was not surprised. She had left him, too angered and frustrated with his character to stand staying with him. He had not understood her explanations of how he ran her up the wall, and she had given up, dumping him with no regrets. What was shocking though, was that he was still thinking about what had become of them enough to seek her out again, even two years later.

She glared up at him, not wanting to go through the same conversation they had when she had broken up with him.

"Sakura," he addressed her by her name, rather than the awful nickname he had given her, "I want you back."

Sakura palmed her forehead. She could not believe the audacity of the man. Had he honestly thought that because he was the last formal relationship she had, she would take him back with open arms? Oh, hell no.

"That isn't going to happen, Sai." She replied with no preamble.

He did not seem shocked by her announcement, but asked anyway. "Why not?"

She answered in the best possible way, abruptly standing, so he could see what had been hiding behind the desk. He was utterly silent, staring in that infuriatingly calm way of his at her growing abdomen. Sai remained silent at first, probably uncertain of what he should say, if anything at all. Sakura felt satisfied, glad to think that he would give up on her, knowing she had every reason in the world to not go back to him.

"It was that Uchiha, wasn't it?" He asked quietly, his voice only just above a whisper. "You always had loved Itachi, even when you were with me."

Sakura nodded her head, unashamed to admit the truth to him. "I'm having twins."

"Yet you aren't married to him." It wasn't a question, but a statement. Sakura shook her head, trying not to look too upset by the fact. She stared into his blank expression.

"He doesn't love me."

At this, Sai grinned again, as if he knew something she did not. "Ugly, you have no idea how jealous that man used to be of me."

* * *

><p>It was strange, how easily things fell into place. Itachi was coming over to her apartment two to three days each week, now that she was twenty weeks into her pregnancy. At least one of those days, he spent the night, which he said was only because he had to be sure she ate a relatively normal breakfast once and awhile. Sakura hardly knew what to think of how her relationship with him was, anymore. He was startlingly intimate with her, kissing her often, touching her expanding stomach, and occasionally, having the most wonderful sex <em>ever<em> with her.

She was afraid to ask him what he was trying to do, what his actions meant. Sakura just wanted to enjoy his being there, and was not about to question it, when it could very easily ruin everything. She had not thought it possible, but she was more in love with her than she had been before. It was her hormones, she realized, but that did not change how her heart ached every moment they spent apart. Sakura longed for him with an intensity that was getting much more difficult to ignore.

So, when he had told her to join him at the office for lunch, she could not refuse him. Going up the elevator to the twenty-seventh floor of the company building, she straightened her sweater over her bulging abdomen, before moving her hair from her face. She had been growing it out recently, so it was starting to reach her shoulders. While she could never be certain with a man like Itachi, she was under the impression that he liked her hair longer, with how he had taken to stroking it every time they would sit on her couch together, or after an especially enjoyable round of lovemaking.

Stepping through the elevator with her head up confidently, she moved towards where she knew Itachi's office was, only to be stopped by a woman about her age with square glasses and cherry-red hair. Sakura could only guess that she was Itachi's secretary.

"Excuse me, Miss, but Uchiha-sama is currently on his lunch break. Can I get your name?" She asked, eyeing her pregnant state suspiciously.

Sakura smiled. "Itachi told me to come over so we could have lunch together. The name's Haruno Sakura."

Karin's eyes narrowed suspiciously. She recognized that name; how could she not remember? It was the crying girl that had called months back, asking to speak with her boss. It was for her that Uchiha Itachi had ran from his office anxiously, asking her to clear his schedule for the rest of the day. Now, it was obvious why Itachi had acted so strangely, because the woman was clearly carrying his child.

It frustrated her to no end. This _Haruno Sakura _was nothing, compared to her. Karin would have never stupidly gotten herself pregnant, if Itachi slept with _her. _She was smart enough to think of using contraception.

Still, it was her job, so she had to tell her boss that the woman was there, waiting for him. She picked up the phone, dialing her boss's office number, and was silent as it rang. "Uchiha-sama, there's a woman here for you. She said her name was Haruno Sakura." Karin said into the receiver.

There was a quiet rustle of papers. _"Thank you, Karin-san. Please tell Sakura that I need to sign a few things, and I'll be out in five minutes."_

"Yes, sir."

"_Also, move my meeting with Hyuga Incorporated back a half hour."_

"Of course," she answered, hanging up.

She smiled as politely as she could. "Uchiha-sama will be a few minutes, Haruno-san. He said he still has a few papers to sign."

Sakura nodded, taking a chair tiredly. She stared down at her feet, questioning to herself why she had ever worn heels, when she had so much extra weight. Absentmindedly, she caressed her swelling midsection, humming to herself off-tune. She did not notice how closely Itachi's secretary was observing her with envy.

The door opened, and whether Karin was surprised or not, Itachi was dressed to leave, with his suit jacket and fedora on again. Before the woman could get back on her feet, he was standing there to help her up. Sickened, she watched as her boss gave the Sakura woman a lingering kiss, before rubbing her belly gently. Evidently, Itachi was not at all upset that the stupid woman had gotten herself pregnant.

"How are you feeling today?" Itachi asked through half-lidded eyes, watching as Sakura's cheeks warmed.

"They've been very active. I'm beginning to think they might have a future in wrestling, because they haven't stopped rolling around in there since I woke up this morning." She answered, tugging his hand down when it slipped under her sweater, and giving him a dubious look.

"Hm. I still think they're both boys."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Don't say that, Itachi. The amount of activity does not indicate anything. You're going to jinx it, and you know I want girls."

Itachi had honestly wanted to say that they could always try again, if they were boys. Instead, he sighed, wrapping an arm around her, and leading her away from his floor.

"Fine," he muttered, nuzzling her neck as they waited for the elevator down, "What happens if you get one of each?"

She exhaled exasperatedly, squirming away from him. "I think I would have to live with it, now wouldn't I?" She asked back sarcastically.

Sakura chose to ignore his amused smirk, turning from him as the elevator dinged, indicating it had reached their floor. Itachi said nothing in response, but frowned when the door slid open, revealing his father there, and looking most surprised and displeased by what he saw. When Sakura froze, Itachi guided the nervous woman inside, meeting his father's glare with one of his own. He was just lucky that his father decided not to confront him then, because it was obvious he would see this as an issue.

Itachi, as calmly as he could, walked Sakura away from the elevator when they reached the lobby, fearful to know what sort of expression his father had, or what the repercussions would be for his father now knowing the truth. Whatever happened, it was easy to guess that it was not going to be a pretty sight, when the storm struck.

* * *

><p>Sakura was surprised. She appeared to have gotten away with whatever she had with Itachi. Uchiha Fugaku had not looked pleased when seeing his pride and joy, Itachi, with his arm around her and openly displaying his affection, but perhaps, dare she think it, Itachi had said something to him later, because it had been a week and a half, and ninja assassins had not been sent after her head yet. Everything was going so beautifully, too, so perhaps Fugaku was going to accept their unusual relationship.<p>

Sakura was really beginning to think that the relationship she had with Itachi could very easily become something permanent in her life. They were talking about names, and arguing about the sexes, and he kept giving her this look, as if to say he thought she was the most beautiful creature on the planet. He still never said anything, not about how he really felt, but Sakura felt so, so loved around him.

The way he touched her, she could not imagine that feeling he gave her being something false. It was not something a person could easily fake.

That was when there was a knock on her front door. She had been curled up on the couch with a bag of shrimp chips, watching reruns of an anime she had watched when she was a kid. Sakura had not been expecting anyone, even if it was her day off, and Itachi had been coming to her apartment every night since his father had seen them together. He usually did not get there for another two hours.

When the knock repeated impatiently, Sakura supposed wryly that she had no choice but to answer it. Heaving herself up, and wrapping the throw blanket from her couch around her shoulders, she padded over to the front door. She opened it, only to wish she had pretended she was not home. She had been wrong, after all, because on the other side of the threshold stood Uchiha Fugaku, looking quite irate. She gulped.

"May I help you, Uchiha-san?" Sakura asked respectfully.

It only made sense that he would show up to ruin everything. Fugaku had not approved of her when she became Sasuke's friend in high school, both because of her decidedly different physical features, and because she had been Tsunade's goddaughter. He had grown to like her even less, when she had met Itachi in college, and grown close to him as well. She knew for fact he blamed Sasuke's marrying outside the family on her, since she was such close friends with Ino.

How he must have absolutely _hated _her now, since she was carrying the offspring of his favorite son, and Itachi was becoming rather attached to her. Sakura had no doubt that Fugaku had once had plans for his eldest son, and who he would wed, and now she had ruined that, by her pregnancy through Itachi. It probably did not matter to the salty, old man that she was happy beyond belief now, and that his son was content with her being his mate.

"That depends if you would be gracious enough," Fugaku paused, looking inside her apartment with distaste, "to invite me into your _humble abode." _He answered gruffly.

His insult was not lost on Sakura. While she understood why a man of his stature would look down upon where she lived, considering he lived in a mansion_,_ Sakura did not see it to be necessary for him to express how lowly he thought of her in such an obvious way. She may not have lived in a freaking _palace, _but she was well off, with the pay she had from the hospital. Besides, her apartment was respectable enough, for a woman living alone. She did not need a four-story manor with three different wings to it, like he seemed to believe.

She could not leave him there though, and had no choice but to step aside, and let him in. He removed his expensive looking dress-shoes almost reluctantly, as if her were concerned his socks would get dirty on her carpet. She did not say anything to him about it though, even if she vacuumed the entire apartment twice a week, without fail. She followed him into the living room, picking up the remote and shutting off the television.

"Can I offer you something?" She asked hesitantly, "I was about to make some tea for myself, if-

"No, thank you." He interrupted brusquely, much to her relief. It meant one thing to be sure, he did not intend to stay long. Sakura did not want him in her house, so even if he had so rudely cut her off, she did not take it personally.

She breathed out her nose. "Then, can I ask what it is you want with me?" Sakura asked. "No offense, but I was not expecting any house calls, and I wanted to start making dinner in an hour."

Sakura could not tell if he was amused or not. "Don't you worry, Haruno. I don't plan to stay here for very long, if I can help it. I just have a _proposition _for you to consider." Fugaku, signaling for her to sit at the couch as he placed his briefcase down on the coffee table. "I believe I can make it worth your time." He said, the briefcase popping open almost violently, before he turned to reveal its insides-stacks of money piled in an orderly fashion.

Anger rose in her. "I don't know what you want, but you sure as hell can't buy me, Uchiha." She snapped.

He sighed, not at all surprised, but let down all the same. "Please, Haruno, calm yourself. You may want to listen to what I have to say."

Sakura bit back the insults and curses burning to be let loose on the elder man, not wanting Itachi to get into any trouble with his family because of something disrespectful she said. "If you think you can come here to take advantage of me just because Itachi isn't around, you're sadly wrong. I'm going to do whatever the hell I want, either way."

He huffed. "Itachi said you might say something to that effect. I'm afraid you're wrong about my taking advantage of you, because this is for your good as much as it is for mine."

Sakura stared at him with wide eyes. Itachi had already spoken to his father after all? She was afraid to know what the results of that were, but it seemed she had no other choice but to hear Fugaku out, since he was already in her home. It did not mean she had to agree to whatever he wanted. The decision was still up to her.

"Say what you need to say, then leave my home." Sakura said darkly.

The smirk she was so used to seeing on Itachi and Sasuke's faces made its way onto that of their father's. "Very well, then, Haruno. I will get out of your hair in due time. Have the patience to sit through everything I have to say, would you? Itachi warned me that you would not like what I have to say." He sneered.

Sakura did not respond, instead crossing her arms.

Pleased, Fugaku continued. "It is very obvious, especially after seeing the pair of you in the elevator that you are carrying the progeny of my eldest son. Unfortunately, Itachi had no right to plant that seed in you. He has been betrothed since he was born, and one day, another woman will bear him an heir. While Sasuke was permitted to settle with a bride outside of the family, Itachi is next in line as head of the Uchiha, and this tradition has been withheld for centuries. He has no other choice, but has foolishly tried to defy his name."

Swallowing dryly, Sakura placed a hand on her abdomen faintly, feeling instantly concerned.

"He has seen the error in his ways," Fugaku said smoothly, "and agreed that it would only be right that your pregnancy be terminated."

She gaped up at him. "You want me to abort my babies? To kill what I created with Itachi?" She asked. "I'm not going to murder my own children!"

While Fugaku was stunned to hear that she was expecting twins, he did not let it show. "Those children are not yours, Haruno," he stated coldly. "They are Uchiha, and if you know what is best for everyone in the situation, you _will _have them aborted. They would be a disgrace, hated by the entire family, and cursed because of your thoughtless decisions. Not you, nor your children, will be accepted by us, and it will only cause you a lifetime of pain, by keeping them."

Sakura pushed back the urge to cry at what he said. Instead, she stood furiously. "I don't care _what _you or Itachi decide. They are my babies, and I'm keeping them." Sakura growled, jabbing her pointer finger into his chest. He looked mildly entertained.

"I'll let you think about it, then," Fugaku said at last. "The Uchiha would cover all medical expenses, and this," he waved towards the briefcase of money, "would be a gift."

"Get out. Now." Sakura snarled, her finger pointing at the door.

He bowed. "Have a nice evening, Haruno."

Then he was gone, the door shut behind him. The only thing he had left behind was a paper with information, stating when the abortion was scheduled for. As if she would ever do such a horrible thing to her growing children. Sakura peered down at the paper for a moment, before she furiously snatched it up and crumpled it, throwing it down to the floor, insulted by the fact he had already scheduled the operation before seeing her.

Then it hit her suddenly, all the anguish and misery she had been holding back in Fugaku's presence. She could not believe that Itachi would ever speak with his father about such things, and she wanted to think that it had all been a lie, that he would never agree with Fugaku that it was best she abort the twins. It made sense, though.

Since the beginning, she had only been a part of his life because she was fun, and different. Now, things were getting more serious, and if she knew anything, men were cowards. He was backing out of her life, because mothers were not _fun_. Itachi had only wanted to experience the part where she prepared herself for motherhood, because he had thought it would be interesting. Now, the game was over. As she had originally thought, he had only been taking advantage of her. All the sex, the gentle kisses and touches, the soft-spoken words; none of it had been real. Just like any other insufferable Uchiha would have, Itachi had played her. Worse than that, he had been acting the same as usual, pretending that nothing was wrong all through the past week and a half, even after speaking with his father about her getting an abortion.

She deserved it, she knew, because even if she had loved him more than her own life, Sakura had asked something of him she never should have. Now, she was paying the price for that.

* * *

><p>Just as he had been the past week and a half, Itachi left the office for Sakura's apartment, anticipation rising in him to see her face again. He had been worried after the short, chance meeting with his father in the elevator, but Itachi had not seen him since then, and it appeared that he was not going to do anything about it. Itachi was not the one to be hopeful, but if his father had not made his move yet, it was unlikely he would at all.<p>

Naturally, when he got to marrying Sakura, which he still wanted to do, his father would have more to object to. There would be no avoiding a confrontation when that happened, but Itachi knew he would be able to prepare for that. It would be on his terms, rather than stumbling upon his father in the elevator by accident.

Feeling particularly pleased, he unlocked the front door, perplexed to find the flat completely dark and silent. He stepped in quietly, looking around in confusion, before switching the light on. He looked around the kitchen and living room, finding nothing. An inexplicable sense of dread surged through his chest, and he knew _something _had to be wrong.

He could think of no reason why Sakura would leave, unless there had been an emergency, and even then, she would have called him beforehand. It was then that he heard it. Her voice, softly sobbing from the bedroom. Itachi raced down the hallway, more than just concerned. Throwing open the door, he stepped in to see her back to him, her small body curled on her side as she clutched a feather pillow to herself. Disturbed by the sight, he slowly walked towards her, listening to her cries, and feeling the same pain she did.

Tentatively, he sat on the edge of the bed, stroking her back as emotions he was not familiar with tore through him. It _hurt _so much to see her like that, utterly broken, and he was at a loss of what to do. Sakura startled him, however, when she abruptly sat up, grabbing his wrist and wrenching it away from herself, not wanting his comfort.

"Sakura, what happened?" He breathed, alarmed by her enraged expression.

His question only seemed to add fuel to the fire. _"What happened?" _She seethed. "What kind of bullshit is that? You know perfectly well what happened. How could you even ask such a thing, pretending as if nothing was wrong?"

He stared at her in shock. "I don't understand."

She laughed venomously, wiping tears from her face. "I'm sure you don't. I'm sure you thought you could come back here after what you and your father did, thinking I would be okay with it. Well, I can promise you this much, I'm _not _okay with what you did. I can understand your father, but what you pulled was just low."

His blood ran cold. "My father was here?"

"Don't play innocent with me!" Sakura roared. "He already told me what you want, so you can just go, and not come back!"

"What did my father tell you?" Itachi asked quietly.

"As if you don't know!"

"Sakura, please-

He was interrupted by an outraged screech. "Get out of my house!"

Itachi had no choice but to do as she said. With a heavy sigh, he stood, giving her a small, helpless look, before turning to leave. Lightly closing her bedroom door, he heard Sakura wail, "I never want to see your goddamned face again!"

Itachi had been too optimistic, and he knew it. His father had made his stand, and because he had not been properly prepared for it, everything was falling apart. With the weight on his shoulders, he made his way into the living room with every intention in leaving, only pausing to find a crumpled piece of paper on the floor. Curious, he picked it up.

Bile rose in his throat at what it said. He still did not know precisely what had occurred when his father had appeared, but he got the gist of it. Itachi had no doubt that his father had tried to persuade Sakura to terminate her pregnancy. Disgusted, he wondered how much his father had offered her to have such a thing done. She would never abort the twins, and neither would he, but somehow, his father must have twisted it to make it appear that he had no interest in their children.

Gritting his teeth in frustration at his father's unwanted interference, Itachi gripped the paper, leaving the apartment. This was not something he would let go passively, and his father should have been able to predict that much.

* * *

><p>AN: Yeah, so I thought I would be able to complete this in two chapters, but I guess not. So, this is officially going to be a short, three chapter fic! Yay!<p>

Thank you everyone that has left me a review. Your opinions and questions are always enjoyable to read. Please, drop me another review and feed the starving artist! ;D


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

* * *

><p>To say Fugaku was surprised by Itachi's sudden appearance at home would have been a lie. He had known from the beginning what his son would have done, as soon as he returned from work. His residence was two miles out of Tokyo's city-line, and he commuted daily. Itachi had not seen the point in doing so once starting at the office, and had gotten himself a place in Tokyo. It was rare when he did return home, and most of the time, it was for holidays, or other celebrations.<p>

Similarly, it was extremely rare when Itachi took his black Audi from the garage, since everything was so close to where he lived, and there was no point in going through traffic, when it was faster to walk. So, it was slightly amusing to see his son's sport car race up the driveway. Itachi parked it haphazardly, before exiting the vehicle, and slamming the door shut.

Itachi stormed up the front steps, knocking on the door testily. His mother answered shortly, and he entered, fuming.

"Itachi-chan, what brings you here?" His mother asked. "Am I getting any grandchildren from you yet?" She continued with good humor. She had started asking him this each time she saw him, most of the time jokingly. It was not her fault that he was in such a foul mood, but the question had set him off.

"It depends." He bit out angrily, "If Chichi-ue had his way, then _no. _He would rather them die."

He had been about to stomp off again, in search of his father to sort out the problems he had caused, when his mother grabbed him by the arm. "Itachi," she said seriously, "what do you mean? Have you really produced an heir?"

Itachi clenched his fists, anger flowing through his veins. Never before had he ever been so enraged with anyone. His parents, or rather, his father, had always managed to get on his nerves about something, but never had he been on the verge of losing all sanity. _"Twins," _Itachi growled back. "She's going to have twins, but-

"Itachi, calm yourself."

Itachi's head whipped around to see his father, wearing a casual yukata after his bath, descending from the stairs. He felt himself utterly snap with fury. "You fucking-how _dare _you go to her-

"Itachi, cease this disgraceful behavior. We are not discussing this unfortunate business in front of your mother." Fugaku interrupted stonily, not at all perturbed by his rage.

"Fugaku, what are you talking about? What is all this about?" Mikoto asked in bewilderment. She had brought her sons up to be calm and collected gentlemen, and had never even heard either of them curse before. It was obvious that her husband was up to something she would not approve, or he would have never hid it from her.

Itachi answered for him. "Sakura is pregnant with my children," he snapped, glaring daggers at his father.

"Itachi-chan! I'm so happy for you!" His mother cheered, before pausing. "You gave her twins?"

Itachi sagged, sighing wearily. "Yes, and I was very happy as well. We both were, until _he," _he pointed his finger at his father in accusation, "went to see Sakura while I was still at the office this afternoon, to demand she abort them, claiming that I had no wish to see my own children born as a form of persuasion." Itachi finished hotly.

"Uchiha _Fugaku!_ We have been trying to get Itachi to settle down for years, and now that he's started, you go and cause chaos! What's wrong with you?" Mikoto scolded.

Fugaku ignored his wife. "That was immature of you, Itachi. I told you we were not going to speak about this in front of your mother." He murmured, unconcerned of his son's displeasure. "I am not sure what had possessed you to copulate with that woman, but she is not the appropriate choice, even for a girlfriend."

"This should have been between you and I, but you brought Sakura into our mess. I have known her for more than ten years now, so I would know better than you if she was appropriate for me! She was going to be more than just a girlfriend; I was going to make Sakura my wife, but now she claims she never wants to see my face again, no thanks to whatever bullshit you told her. You want to tell me _I'm _the one being immature? Who's the one who taught me the punishments of lying?" Itachi raved, chest heaving from the exertion of his uncharacteristic yelling.

"You cannot wed a woman like Haruno Sakura. She is outside the clan, and you are the heir." Fugaku responded automatically.

Itachi took a moment, massaging the bridge of his nose in an attempt to relax himself. "Chichi-ue, I will make Sakura my wife, one way or another. You can either allow it, or I will leave this goddamned clan, and you can deal with getting yourself another heir."

"It is your responsibility to become head of the family, and produce a proper heir."

Calm again, Itachi met his father's gaze. "It is also my responsibility to protect the woman who carries my offspring. I will chose her over this clan, if you make me."

"If you leave the clan, you leave the company. What would you do to support that little family of yours?" Fugaku asked.

"I am more than capable of getting myself another job. You know very well that Akatsuki Incorporated has wanted me to join them since I got my master's degree. Besides, support will never be a concern of mine. The Haruno Sakura you deem unworthy of my attention is head of the Oncology department at the university hospital, and has never once asked me for monetary provision. She made a point in saying she would never need it." Itachi answered smoothly, poison seeping through his tone.

"Fugaku," Mikoto interjected at last, "don't make everything so difficult that I will never get to know my own grandchildren. This isn't the seventeenth century anymore. Things don't work the way they used to, and I don't think that it would be such a terrible occurrence if Itachi-chan did marry outside the clan. We are the only ones that have stuck so determinedly to our traditions, while the other honorable clans have started to mix with people outside a noble lineage."

Itachi felt immensely thankful. His mother had always liked Sakura, he knew, and was not as stuck-up and stubborn as his father. Even if she did love Fugaku to an extent, she had always believed she should have had the right to marry whomever she wished, instead of being pushed into an arranged marriage. She was perfectly content with her husband, and had gladly given him sons, but she wanted, more than anything, to see them happy.

Sasuke had found his own happiness with Ino, and had started his own little family with her. Now Itachi, who had been alone for so long, wanted the warmth of a woman who loved him dearly, and Mikoto saw nothing wrong with him desiring a life with Sakura. She could never insult Uchiha women without insulting herself, but Mikoto was perfectly aware that Itachi would never be able to settle down with a compliant, thoughtlessly obedient woman. He would only grow bored, and feel lonely.

"Whatever the case, I will not discuss this matter in front of the door, as if you will leave the second you deem it to be over." Mikoto told Itachi, leading him into another room. "I want to hear it from the beginning, Itachi-chan." She said with a smile as they walked into the living room. Already sitting at the chabudai, with a certainly familiar, orange book in hand was Shisui, a plate of ohagi at his side, and a pot of tea steeping. Itachi was not at all surprised.

"Hey, Itachi-chan," Shisui grinned, flipping a page in his book. "You always know how to make things interesting, don't you? I couldn't even concentrate on what I was reading, with all the yelling."

Fugaku entered as well, knowing he was going to have to defend himself at some point in the conversation. Itachi took a seat besides Shisui, reaching over to take a piece of ohagi for himself. "Thank you, Shisui, because that's the only reason I came here, to entertain you." Itachi replied sarcastically.

"So, Itachi-chan," Mikoto started gently, "Sakura's pregnancy; was it intentional?"

At this, Shisui snorted, snapping his book shut and setting it aside. "Hell yeah, it was. She has him wrapped around her pretty, little finger."

Itachi growled. "You are not telling my mother what happened, Shisui. You would make it sound perverse."

"Hey, man," Shisui grumbled, raising his hands in surrender, "It sorta _is _perverted. I still don't understand just what you were thinking in that situation."

Mikoto chose to ignore his comment, in favor of asking her son again, "So it was intentional?"

"Yes, it was." Itachi sighed softly. "Sakura gave me something of an ultimatum. I knew that if I didn't say yes, someone else would, and I did not like the thought of her carrying another man's child. I had no choice...because..._I love her." _He murmured thoughtfully.

His mother's smile was bright and shining as always. "What exactly did she ask you, Itachi-chan?"

He met her gaze. "She told me that the man she was in love with wasn't making a move, and she didn't believe in artificial insemination. Then asked if I would help her conceive."

* * *

><p>It got to a certain point where Sakura was beyond feeling lonely. She felt utterly abandoned. For two days, she locked herself up into her apartment, grieving the loss of the man she was so desperately in love with. Ino and Tsunade had both called her multiple times, trying to figure out what had gone wrong, and why she had not come to work. It was pathetic, and Sakura knew it.<p>

So, she got over herself. It was much easier to not think about Itachi when she worked, so that was what she did. Sakura spent such a long time at the hospital, she could hardly stand on her feet, but at least she had stopped thinking about the man that had so throughly broken her heart beyond repair. It was only when Tsunade had forcefully sent her home, saying she was incapable of working any longer without hurting either herself, the two fetuses growing in her womb, or whatever patient she got.

Still, Sakura could not return to that apartment, not to only be alone, when _he _should have been there. So, she walked. For hours. It did not matter where, but she kept walking until her feet had blisters, and then she kept walking. She went as far as she possibly could from her apartment, not realizing just where her feet had been leading her, until she was already there. She stood in front of Itachi's apartment building, staring upwards to where she knew his penthouse would be overlooking the expanse of Tokyo. Tears formed in her eyes, because she could only image what he was doing up there, without her. Sakura had no doubt that it was not something she wanted to know about.

Itachi's apartment was not that far from her own, but with the route she had subconsciously chosen had taken much longer. Biting her lip, she rested her hand on her abdomen, tears gathering in her eyes. She was never going to see him again, and it hurt to think about. Itachi could not be even a friend to her any longer, not that she would be able to handle that much. Sakura would never be able to look at his face again, without thinking that she loved him with the entirety of her existence, and he had betrayed that, deciding that the tiny miracles they had created together meant nothing. He had made her believe that it was possible for them to have a _happily-ever-after _together, when clearly, it never had been.

Slinging her purse on her shoulder more securely, Sakura turned, the tears she had attempted to keep in slipping down her cheeks with no restrain. She did not want to make a spectacle of herself, so she stepped away, her heels clicking on the concrete sidewalk with each pace. She should have known, then, that it was time to return home to her apartment, before her aching feet started to bleed. Stubbornly, though, Sakura continued, knowing where she needed to be.

It was just her luck that ten minutes later, it started to rain. It had been three days since returning home, and she had made use of the showers in the locker room, as well as the extra clothing she kept in her locker, but the temptation of a taxi ride home, a long, hot shower, and curling up in her own bed after two nights of sleeping on the couch in her office, was becoming hard to ignore. She pushed past it though, making it to her destination in the next fifteen minutes.

Sakura did not care what she looked like, because if anyone understood, it would be Ino. So, faintly, she knocked on the front door to the duplex Ino and Sasuke had gotten to make room for their two toddlers and themselves. She heard laughter inside, so she could only guess they had company over. Sakura knew she should have turned around at that moment, knowing that she would be interrupting a perfectly enjoyable evening Ino was having with her family and friends.

Dizzily, the effects of utter exhaustion taking their toll on her at last, Sakura leaned against the doorway, afraid of losing her balance. Struggling just to keep herself up on her feet, still crying, Sakura looked up weakly as the door opened. Slowly, she met Ino's eyes, glad that her friend had been the one to answer.

"Dear god, Sakura! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Ino yelped, wrapping an arm around her, before shouting, "Sasuke, come help me!"

"I'm sorry, Ino. I shouldn't have come here to bother you, but I just couldn't go back to that apartment to be alone...I didn't know where else to go." Sakura breathed feebly.

Ino rolled her eyes affectionately. "Would you shut up, Forehead? You know that you're always welcome here. Did you honestly think I could tell you to turn around, especially after seeing you like this?"

Calmly, Sasuke left the kitchen, stunned when he saw Sakura in his doorway, soaked to the bone, and dead on her feet. He dashed forward, helping her stand properly. "Where do you want to put her?" He asked Ino worriedly, catching Sakura as she stumbled, blacking out from her fatigue. Gently, he picked up the heavily pregnant woman, holding her against his chest in an attempt to warm her.

"I'm going to draw a bath for her. Take her to the bathroom upstairs." She answered, already five steps ahead of him, and dashing to prepare the bath. Sasuke sighed, glancing down at the woman in his arms with concern, before slowly following after his wife. Naruto's head poked out from the kitchen, his eyes bulging in horror at what he saw.

"What happened to Sakura-chan?" He hollered with shock.

Sasuke glanced over his shoulder back at him. "I don't know yet, but Ino might need Hinata's help in undressing her for the bath."

Naruto did not have the chance to reply, before Hinata was beside him, handing him their thirteen-month old child with care. "I'll be right there, Sasuke-kun," she called softly, giving her husband a peck to the cheek, before following closely behind Sasuke. Bewildered, Naruto huffed, going back into the kitchen. Shisui, who was also there, patted the blond male on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, Naruto," he snickered, reaching into his pocket to retrieve his mobile phone. "I already know what Sakura-chan needs."

"What would that be?" Naruto asked skeptically.

Shisui grinned with his phone to his ear, "The father, of course."

* * *

><p>Itachi was alarmed to be awoken by a call from his cousin at what was nearing midnight. He answered it however, distressed to find that Sakura had just appeared at his younger brother's home, having just walked in the rain, and had gotten herself soaked. At first, he had been angry at her, for her blatant disregard of her own health, before worry had overcome him.<p>

Without a second thought in his head, Itachi had thrown the blankets off, jumping from bed and pulling on a pair of jeans. Tugging a shirt over his head as he walked through the penthouse he had gotten himself once moving into Tokyo, Itachi grabbed his keys, before dashing out the door, locking it behind himself.

He could have gotten a taxi, but Itachi ran down the streets. His brother's duplex was only two miles away from his building, and at the time, it had seemed like it would be much faster to get there by foot. By the time he had reached his destination, despite his being fit, Itachi was out of breath, having sprinted the entire distance without pacing himself properly. Gulping for air, he pounded on the door, not stopping until Sasuke had opened it.

"Sheesh, what's with all this?" Sasuke asked himself, at seeing his older brother in the threshold, gasping. "What are you doing here, Aniki?"

"Where is she?" He asked back, regaining composure. "Where is Sakura?"

Sasuke stared at him with undisguised disbelief. "She's with Ino, upstairs. How are you a part of all this?"

Shisui appeared from the kitchen. "Why, Itachi-chan's the father, of course! Why else would he be here?" He asked with amusement, watching as Itachi took off his pair of all-stars, and sent him a subtle glare.

"Thank you for always putting things into perspective for me, Shisui." Itachi muttered, standing upright as he entered. "I really have no idea what I would have said if you didn't do all the talking for me."

Sasuke gaped at Itachi. "Seriously? You're the one that got Sakura pregnant?"

Itachi met his ogling brother's gaze evenly. "Yes, I did. Now, will you let me see her, Otouto?"

Naruto entered the foyer then, making it rather crowded. "You're the bastard who got Sakura-chan pregnant!" He yelled, much to everyone's discernment.

Itachi frowned with his displeasure. "This has already been established, Naruto-kun. There is no need to point out the obvious." He said, already making his way towards the stairs. "Now, if you are quite finished, I need to see Sakura."

"Naruto, the kids are asleep upstairs. Would you please shut up?" Sasuke asked gruffly, only to be ignored by his boisterous friend.

"You can't go see her right now, Sakura-chan's taking a bath!" Naruto crowed back, stopping Itachi in his tracks. Shisui's laughter filled the small area they stood in.

Angrily, however, Itachi turned. His patience was being tested, and at this point, he hardly cared if he lost all control of himself. All that mattered was seeing Sakura, and he could care less about what they all thought. "Do you _honestly _think I have never seen Sakura naked, if she is carrying my offspring? Did you believe that we had sex with all of our clothes on? I can assure you, I've seen her undressed _many _times before, if you are so concerned for her chastity."

Both Naruto and Sasuke looked rather uncomfortable with this announcement, while Shisui laughed louder. "Itachi-chan, stop teasing them already. It's too funny."

Itachi, unamused, made his way up the stairs with nothing to stop him. The upstairs bathroom was empty, however, so he continued to where he knew the guest room was. Opening the door without invitation, Itachi entered, all the air in his lungs leaving him at once, as if it had been knocked out of him. There was Sakura, laying on her side, and using his sister-in-law's lap as a pillow. She looked so fragile, he was almost afraid enter the room, let alone breathe.

The Hyuga heir, who had married Uzumaki Naruto about three years back was there as well, offering her comfort. Both women glared at him as he stepped inside, and he knew Sakura must have told them her side of the story before falling asleep. He did not stop though, sitting himself down on the edge of the bed, hesitantly running his palm over the swell of her stomach.

"Hinata-san, I think you're husband is about to have an aneurysm. You might want to go back downstairs." He said at last, not once moving his gaze from Sakura. He was transfixed, and both women could see that there was much more to the story than what Sakura had told him. While Hinata wanted to stay, it was clear she did not belong there. She had never been very close to Sakura, though they had been friends for a long time.

Indecisive, she bit her lip, turning to Ino. "You can go back downstairs if you want, Hinata. Thank you for helping me earlier."

Hinata nodded her head, smiling wearily. "It's no problem, Ino-chan. I think it's best Naruto-kun and I go home. Daisuke-chan is already asleep, and it's getting late."

Then, she was gone.

Ino sighed, smoothing Sakura's hair tenderly. "I may not know you nearly as well as Sasuke or Sakura does, Itachi-san, but I had always believed you were a good, just man. Would you care to explain what the hell you did to her, before I kick you out? I don't want to think that what she told me is true, but after seeing her so heartbroken, I'm inclined to believe her."

Itachi sighed, bending over to kiss Sakura lightly on the lips, before speaking clearly. "What she told you is not true. You already know what sort of man my father is, and all I really need to say is he did not approve of my having any sort of relationship with Sakura."

"So it's true that Fugaku went to her and demanded she get an abortion."

Itachi looked at her solemnly. "Yes, he went to her apartment while I was still at the office, knowing I wouldn't be there to protect her from him. Though I'm not sure of what he said exactly, I know he gave her the impression that I did not care for the twins at all. He was lying."

Ino observed the man carefully as he rested his hand on Sakura's hip, gently rubbing her back with his thumb. Itachi was not the sort of man to lie, she knew, because in a lot of ways, he was just like her husband. They could both be complete idiots, but it was because of that she believed him. She exhaled slowly, smiling at him with exasperation.

"You really love her, don't you?"

Itachi was surprisingly forward. "Yes, I do."

* * *

><p>Sakura's eyes opened slowly, and for a good few seconds, she had no idea where she was. Last she remembered, she had been at Ino's house, where she had taken a bath with Ino and Hinata's help. Then she had fallen asleep in the guest room. Her current location, however, was not the guest room in Sasuke and Ino's home. No, she was in <em>Itachi's <em>bed. How she had gotten there did not matter. She just had to get out.

Thankful to see herself still in Sasuke's roomy T-shirt and sweat pants, which Ino had been kind enough to lend to her, Sakura shot out of bed, looking for her belongings. She entered the big, open space of the penthouse, where Itachi's living room, dining room and kitchen were joint together. She gulped, finding him stretched out on the couch, still wearing jeans, and his chest bare. Careful to not wake him as she stepped past, Sakura found her purse on his countertop.

She sadly glanced at him one last time, tearing up already, at how peaceful he looked asleep. He had given her the bed, taking the couch, even if there had been more than enough room for them both. Itachi had respected her wish for distance between them, knowing she would have exploded to have woken up with his arms around her, holding her tight.

Sakura shook her head, not allowing herself to think about the awful predicament she found herself in. What Itachi had done to her was unforgivable, so there was no point in looking back at what could have been. Sniffling, she glanced at the clock, realizing it was already ten in the morning. She was late for work.

Cursing to herself, she left, awakening the man on the couch as she shut the door. Itachi jumped up, growling as he realized she must have left, before snatching the shirt he had been wearing the night before from on the floor. Frustrated, he ran out the door as well, just in time to see Sakura's mortified expression at seeing him as the elevator door shut.

Itachi did not wait for the next one, knowing he would lose her if he did. Taking the stairs two at a time, he raced down to the first level. She was already out of the building by then, because he saw her as she hailed a taxi at the street. Dashing like a madman, he only just reached her as she hurriedly stepped into the cab, and managed to slip in beside her as she attempted to shut the door.

"Sakura, don't do this. Let me explain what happened, at least. If you still think I'm guilty, then-

She interrupted him with a roar of anger. "Get the fuck out of my taxi, Itachi! If you think I'm going to buy whatever bullshit you have to say to defend yourself, then you're dead wrong. I don't want to hear it!"

Itachi could not believe how stubborn she was being. Had he not proved himself to her, over the past few months, of how much he truly cared? Itachi had been afraid of smothering her with his affection, but clearly, he had not given her enough, if one lie his father had told her was enough to break them apart.

"Why do you believe what my father told you?" He asked quietly.

"Itachi, I already told you I never wanted to see your face again! What did you not understand about that?" Sakura hissed back at him.

Finally, the taxi driver interrupted. "Sir, this young woman was here first. I'm afraid you are going to have to wait for another."

Clenching his teeth, Itachi had no choice. He already knew where she was going, and could probably get there on foot. He stepped from the taxi, apologizing coldly to the man, before running off again. If Sakura was going to go anywhere, it would probably be the hospital. She did not know that Tsunade had called her cellular number that morning, saying that Sakura was not to come back into work for two days at least. Itachi had promised she would not being going into the hospital for much longer than that, and Tsunade had approved.

Still, Itachi could not help pulling out his phone, and dialing her number. He would rather not run all the way to the hospital, if he could help it.

Sakura snarled with frustration as he called her. _Again. _Her phone had been ringing constantly for the past five minutes. "Miss," the taxi driver said at last, "I think we both know that man isn't going to stop calling you until you answer. I'm getting tired of hearing that song played over and over again."

Sakura glared at the man, but understood. It was her fault, and she had to act more like an adult. With a huff, she flipped the phone open, pressing her ear to the receiver.

"_Sakura!"_

"Yes, that's my name. I answered the phone. So stop calling me." She snapped.

"_Why do you believe my father?" _Itachi asked again.

Sakura was quiet for a moment. "Because it makes sense."

* * *

><p>"Sakura, would you just stop?" Itachi called angrily. He had followed her all the way to the hospital, and now she was determined to make a spectacle of them there, as well. At this point, Itachi was beyond enraged. It most definitely did <em>not <em>make sense that he would not care for his own children. She was just being emotional, and while he could hardly blame her for it, it was still frustrating.

"Would you just go home already?" She cried back at him, stomping a good ten steps ahead of him. He quickened his pace, only pausing when she entered the women's room. Itachi would not be deterred, though. He was going to get to the meat of the problem, whether she liked it or not, and followed her into the restroom.

The sound of her sobs echoed through the empty restroom from the handicapped stall. He moved towards the sound of her voice, resting his head against the stall door. He had no idea what to do anymore. His father had never officially said that he could have a relationship with Sakura, but it appeared that he was much too afraid of his wife to fight it. Itachi was going to need to thank her at some point, for her interference. "Sakura, what are we even doing? This is ridiculous." He murmured.

"If it's so ridiculous, then go _away!" _She screamed back at him, burying her face in her hands.

His heart clenched at her obvious displeasure at his being there. "We both know I'm not going to go anywhere until we resolve this." Itachi whispered back. "It doesn't make sense that I would want my own children killed, and you should know that."

"Yes, it does make sense," she breathed. "You told me, on that first night. You're in love with some woman that doesn't love you back. I'm sure you'd rather her give you children."

Itachi could not believe she was still thinking about what he had said on that night. Had she no idea that it was her he had been talking about? He found it necessary to clarify. "She already is carrying my offspring, Sakura." Itachi informed her softly. What surprised him was her wail of misery.

"I should have known! You were fucking us both at the same time, weren't you? To think I ever-

His voice was dark and harsh. "Sakura, shut up. Never have I once-

Then, the door threw open, showing an extremely annoyed Ino. "Did you two idiots know that your entire conversation could be heard from down the hall? I can't believe how stupid you guys are!" She shouted, turning to Itachi. "I told you to take care of this at your apartment, and to be sure she didn't leave before you got the chance to speak!"

Itachi was slightly surprised, but answered honestly. "I fell asleep on the couch at some time around four this morning. I've been chasing her across town since I woke up."

Ino huffed with irritation. "I swear, you and your brother are the same brand of stupid." She grumbled, before claiming. "Okay, I am officially your mediator. Sakura, open the stall! If you two are going to act like five year olds, I am not bellow treating you as such."

No one was shocked when Sakura whimpered back, "I'm not opening the door."

What had not been expected was for Ino to get on her hands and knees, crawl under the stall in her skirt and heels, and unlock the stall herself. "This is just a mess, and apparently, neither of you can clean it up on your own." She sighed, before ordering, "Itachi, get your dumb ass in here!"

He complied, stepping inside the stall to see Sakura sitting on the toilet, hunched over and crying.

"Listen up!" Ino yelled. "Sakura, this idiot loves you, so stop this stupid game you have with him. Fugaku is a lying bastard, so get used to it. Itachi, she loves your stupid ass, so cut her some slack. Hormones do crazy shit to a woman's body, so get over there and kiss her!"

For a moment, they just stared at each other in disbelief. Sakura's cheeks turned a violent, tomato red, telling him that what had just been said was true. Light headed, Itachi knelt down in front of her, not even realizing when Ino had left. Itachi licked his lips nervously, pulling her hands away from her face. "Sakura, when I said the woman who did not return my feelings was pregnant through me, I had meant you. You were in love with _the one, _and I knew that wasn't me."

She cried, a thick smile on her face. "Itachi, you were always 'the one' who wouldn't get off his ass and make a move." Sakura said, before laughing weakly. "Ino was right, we are stupid. She must have known all along."

Itachi chuckled, "Yes, we are," pressing his lips to hers. Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, tears falling down her face all the while, just because she was so unbelievably happy.

* * *

><p>"Sakura?" Itachi asked softly, bringing her in closer to his chest.<p>

"Hmm?"

"Do I really have to leave for this _thing _that you're doing with all those women?" He muttered, his hand teasingly sneaking under the shirt she had borrowed from him to sleep in. She hummed with delight as his fingers stretched out across her abdomen.

Sakura giggled though. "For the baby shower? Yes, you do. It's a tradition, Itachi, there are no men allowed. If you really feel left out, you can go out and have fun with Sasuke, or Shisui. You haven't seen Kisame in a while either."

He sighed in annoyance. "I would rather not."

"Itachi, I promise you, it isn't anything that you're going to want to stay for. Most of it will be pointless baby games, like guessing how big around I am, or what names I've chosen for the twins. Then I'll have to sit through opening twenty different sets of diapers and wipes, since we haven't told anyone what the sexes are, and they won't be able to buy the cliche pink or blue baby clothes. If you really want me to, I'll save you a piece of cake, but that's going to be the highlight of the afternoon."

There was a moment of silence as he thought. "That does not sound very enjoyable at all," Itachi concluded, causing her to laugh again. "I still want to stay, though. I heard about what Ino-san pulled at Hinata-san's baby shower."

Sakura sat up slowly, turning around to look down at her lover in bed. "You heard about the stripper?" She snickered. "I hope you realize the only reason she had hired a male stripper was because it would embarrass Hinata beyond all reason. She turned beet red, and then everyone had a good laugh, but the stripper wasn't there to actually entertain us."

"I wouldn't put it past her, to do it again."

Sakura leaned over to kiss him. "Itachi, I wouldn't be interested in a man-whore, even if Ino did hire one for kicks, not when I have you to roll around in bed with. There's no need to be jealous, I promise."

His smirk was absolutely devious. "Roll around, you say? Don't tempt me."

Sakura rolled her eyes, untangling herself from him to get up. At seven months in, she was nearly splitting at the seems, considering she was carrying twice the usual load. With Itachi there near constantly, the strain was not so horrible, since he was perfectly willing to help around the house, doing things that had become especially difficult.

Though he still owned the penthouse, he had been spending the majority of his time with her, at the apartment she rented. Nothing had been set in stone yet, but Itachi had already decided it would be best she moved in with him, considering there was only one bedroom in her apartment, and the twins would need one of their own. When they got older, it would be necessary that they lived somewhere with three bedrooms. The penthouse Itachi owned was more than large enough for the four of them, and though it had not been discussed yet, there would also be room for more.

"Itachi," she told him matter-of-fact, "we are _not _having sex right now."

Her actions were counterintuitive however, because she threw off the T-shirt she had borrowed from him, and threw it at his bare chest. His eyes hungrily roved her unbound breasts, how her nipples had darkened so wonderfully with hormones, before they trailed downward to the adorable little pair of panties she had worn to bed. "I'm damn certain I can change your mind."

"I'm sure you can, Itachi, but you won't. I should have gotten out of bed an hour ago as it is, and I can't be late to my own baby shower."

As much as Sakura loved her apartment to death, and would defend it with the ferocity of a mother bear, she could not deny the fact it was not big enough for a party, especially since Ino was putting together the guest list. There would be a combination of people she had not seen in years, and those she rarely spoke more than two words to, on top of the people she really did want there, and all Ino had said was that she needed to milk the situation for all it was worth. So, much to the joint discernment of Itachi and Sakura, it was to be held in the penthouse.

Itachi watched intently as she pulled an off-white sundress Hinata had lent to her over her head, since she had no use for it any longer, and caught her subtle glare as she looked into the full-length mirror that had taken permanent residence in the bedroom. She sighed, "Itachi, I don't mean to be superficial, but does this make me look fat?"

She was not at all comforted when he laughed at her question. The dress, with its floral print, had an empire-waist, so it flowed smoothly over her _'baby-belly,' _as he called it, and ended just above her knees. Itachi thought she looked fine. She was pregnant, not _fat, _and gloriously heavy with his children.

"You're not fat." Itachi answered placidly, standing to join her by the mirror. "I think you look very beautiful," he added in a silky tone, nuzzling his nose into her neck playfully. She giggled, quietly warning him to not tickle her, or she would somehow have to get revenge.

"Obviously, you didn't look at me. I do look fat, don't I?" She asked hopelessly, craning her head back to look up at his face as he stood at full height. He angled his face downwards, pecking her button nose fondly. She blushed faintly, her cheeks only just a pinkish color.

"You do realize, Sakura, that you are being very, very silly."

She relented. "I know."

"Good," he purred, his voice rumbling deep in his chest. "I'm going to call Kisame." He left the room, obnoxiously smooching her cheek as he went.

* * *

><p>Itachi found himself at five in the afternoon, sitting in a sports bar next to Kisame, a beer in hand, and watching the <em>Giants<em> game being broadcasted from America. He usually enjoyed watching baseball, and it was bottom of the sixth inning, just when the game was getting good, but he was distracted.

"Hey, Itachi, I know what you're feeling right now, but Pinky will be just fine. She's around a bunch of women that have already had kids, so if something happens, she's in good hands. Besides, it's only just the beginning of her third trimester, right?" Kisame finally said, noticing that his friend had hardly touched his beer, and was not paying any attention to the game.

"I was not concerned with the fact she's expecting twins, and therefor could go into labor early until you pointed it out. Thank you, Kisame," Itachi replied sarcastically, taking a swig of his warm, neglected beer.

Kisame cringed. "Oh, okay then. What _were _you so worried about?"

Itachi looked at him straight in the eyes. "The last time Sakura's friend put together a baby shower, she also hired a stripper, which according to Sakura, had only been there to embarrass the expectant mother. Knowing my sister-in-law, and her friend, however, I would not be surprised if there was another stripper at this baby shower."

The blue-haired man laughed. "That's just hilarious-

Then he caught Itachi's irritated glower.

-and completely inappropriate?" He finished weakly. At this, Itachi exhaled slowly. It was hard to explain how he felt about his to a man who's partner was just as sexually open as he was. Being open with Sakura was one thing, but he did not like the idea of being open with the entire world. He took another sip from his beer bottle.

"Listen, Itachi. I've already had three brats with Aoi, and sure, it's easy to freak out the first time around, but when you think back on it, it really isn't that scary. Yeah, she'll look like she's going to explode, but her body's made to have kids. She won't have the little tots until she's ready." Kisame informed him wisely. Itachi looked positively irate.

"Kisame, that was completely unhelpful."

It took another twenty minutes before Itachi could wait no longer. He had stayed away for two hours at least, but enough was enough. If she was just playing a few baby-games and unwrapping gifts, it should have been just about over, at that point. Besides, he saw no logical reason why he could not be there to see her unwrap a few presents. As the father, he should have had every right to be there, as well.

Resolved, he stood, chugging the rest of his beer, and leaving money on the counter to pay for it. "I'm leaving, Kisame. Tell Aoi I said hello." Itachi said.

"Yeah, sure thing. Tell Pinky she should come over. I haven't seen her since you got her knocked up, and Aoi would like the company." He replied, eyes not leaving the screen as a player from the opposing team reached third base. Itachi rolled his eyes.

Hands in his pockets, Itachi left the bar, pulling his sleeves up to his elbows in the warm, late-afternoon air. Calmly, he walked down the street, turning the corner to return to the penthouse. The ride up to the top floor in the elevator was maddeningly long, and by the time he reached the end, he was impatient to see what had happened during the shower. The door was unlocked, so he stepped in.

It was easy to pick out Sakura in the group of chattering women. Much to his annoyance, he also noticed at least two men in the party. Navigating through the clusters of giggling females easily, Itachi stood before Sakura, his arms crossed, and his eyebrows knit together. She paused in the middle of her conversation with Temari, at first glaring up at him, before she could not help laughing at how out of place he looked.

"I thought you went to watch the game with Kisame." She teased.

"The _Giants _are going to win. I saw no point in waiting for the inevitable." Itachi answered stonily. "However, I recall you saying there were not going to be any men here. I saw two."

Temari, able to tell Sakura would be preoccupied for a while, snickered, "I'll see you later. Tell Ino for me that her lazy ass friend is getting on my nerves again. He still can't decided if he wants another kid or not. _Men._" She said, rolling her eyes.

Sakura hugged her friend. "It was good to see you again, Temari. Don't be mean to poor Shikamaru."

Itachi cleared his throat. "Well?"

Sakura gave him a doubtful look. "Lee is happily gay, Itachi. Why else would he wear such suffocatingly tight clothing? He hardly counts, and you know already that Deidara has been with Sasori for years. They can be more feminine than most of the women here, so you have nothing to worry about."

With that, she patted the spot next to her on the couch, grinning up at him. "Did you have a beer for me?"

* * *

><p>Sakura had promised him. She would be good. But at thirty-five weeks, she had a hard time doing that with anything. She had reached the point where she was somewhat <em>over <em>being pregnant, with her sore back and swollen ankles. Sakura was about ready to just _have _the overactive brats already, but she knew she still had around a month to go, until they were due.

As they stepped up to the front door, a certain anxiety Sakura had not felt in a while rose in her. "Itachi, are you sure this is okay? What if she changed her mind, or your father is there?" She asked nervously, gripping his hand tight as he rang the door bell.

"My mother has always loved you, Sakura, and my father is on a business trip in France. Everything will be fine." He replied softly, his hand gently rubbing her tensed back. "Don't be so nervous; _I _had to face Tsunade, and she's hated me since you were in college. This won't be anything like that."

Sakura scoffed. "Well, if you had called me something besides _'that pink-haired brat,' _in front of her, she probably would not have hated you so much. She had been worried you were bullying me."

"I didn't ever bully you," Itachi defended.

Sakura laughed. "You and Kisame were always teasing my hair. Unless that was one of those cases where someone should have told me if a boy makes fun of me, that means he's secretly crushing on me, I would consider that bullying."

He shrugged. "I had no idea what else to do with you. You were my brother's weird friend."

"I hope the twins both have pink hair, for that comment." Sakura retorted playfully.

The door opened, a gushing Mikoto there to greet them.

"My genes are dominant." He whispered to her, before turning to his mother. "Sorry for coming so late, Okaa-san. We've been busy." Itachi said, guiding Sakura into the house. Mikoto waved it off happily, unable to be upset when she was finally able to see the cause of her son's joy.

"I understand, Itachi-chan. Come into the kitchen so we can all talk." Mikoto replied cheerfully, smiling at the pair of them. She was even more pleased that Itachi had chosen Sakura, now that she had gotten to see them together. He was very attentive to his little mate, just in the way they walked down the hallway together. His hand rested reassuringly on her waist, because Mikoto had no doubt Sakura had been uneasy about coming to the main Uchiha household, after what had happened with Fugaku.

Even more than that, she could see the lightness in Itachi's eyes, at how she was blooming in feminine glory. Similarly, Sakura, though clearly in pain from the final stages of her pregnancy, was glowing with pride at having her protective, doting lover at her side. Never had Mikoto seen her son so utterly at peace with another person, and she was satisfied that he had found a woman that was capable of invoking such an anomaly in him.

She still could not believe that her husband had ever thought they were not meant to be together, just because Sakura was not of Uchiha descent. It was obvious that they belonged with one another, and Mikoto was glad. It was time her son settled down with someone, and she could think of no one better.

Sakura would become a very good bride for her son.

* * *

><p>Sakura giggled, flipping through the pages of a children's book Mikoto had given her from Itachi's childhood. "It was very sweet of your mother to give us this. I think the twins will love it when they're born." She said affectionately. Itachi had grinned in response, though keeping his eyes on the road as they made their way back into Tokyo, after having visited his mother.<p>

Not that he had been all too worried, the visit with his mother had gone much better than he could have imagined. Sakura had instantly bonded with her, excitedly talking about the twins well into the evening. Mikoto had, in turn, told her pregnancy stories laughingly, and shared with pride all her escapades in raising two sons. Itachi had watched with amusement as Mikoto had described explicitly what it had been like to go through labor.

There was a long silence as they drove forward. It was nearing midnight, and for a time, Itachi had thought Sakura had fallen asleep. He had simply listened to the purr of his Audi's engine, enjoying her presence alone. After a long day, the peace was almost necessary, not that he would have really minded if Sakura had been speaking, either.

Her voice seemed loud, even if it was not above a whisper, when she spoke at last.

"Itachi, I'm sorry."

This had shocked Itachi somewhat, and worriedly, he glanced at her from the corner of his eye to see her clutching her stomach. "What for? Is everything okay?" He asked back, returning his gaze to the road in front of him.

She gasped back shakily. "Because, either I just lost utter and complete control over my bladder, or my water just broke, and it's all over your leather seat." Sakura grunted back at him, her voice hitching as she bent over in pain with her contraction. His eye's widened in astonishment and panic as she tried to keep her scream in.

"Do you mean to say that you're going into labor?" He asked back, his voice somehow an octave higher that it usually was. "Isn't it a little early for that?"

Patience completely zapped, Sakura barked back at him. "Yes, I'm fucking going into labor, dammit, and I don't think we get to decide when it's early or not!"

Itachi bit on his tongue, deciding it would be best to hurry to the hospital, and wait the contraction out before talking again. Concerned, he observed as her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath. He pressed the petal down, catching up in speed. It was late at night in the middle of the week, so there was very little traffic, and he was thankful for that much.

A minute later, the contraction had ended, and she calmed herself. Rubbing her belly, she looked to see Itachi's hands clamped around the steering wheel, his skin pulled tight and a pale white. She shook her head, smiling to herself. His entire back was as stiff as a board in the driver's seat, and guiltily, she laid a palm on his arm. She really was lucky to have such a good man to take care of her.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you," she whispered, "but if you ever thought I was a royal bitch during my period, you're in for something else."

He smirked, carefully moving one hand from the wheel to place it on her full, bulging abdomen. "The twins are coming," he murmured tenderly, the loving look on his face not leaving, even when he changed lanes to take the next exit into Tokyo. Sakura grinned, resting her free hand over his.

"Yes, they are-

The hand she had on his arm tightened as she choked out a soft cry.

"Holy shit!"

Itachi, at this point, was weaving through traffic almost dangerously, avoiding cars with skill. It continued, and he reached the hospital, parking blindly in the emergency room lot, jumping out and running around the car to get Sakura. Her breathing was uneven and heavy as he unplugged her, and picked her up, one arm under the bend of her knees, and the other holding her back up. She curled one arm around his neck, the other around her stomach.

Everything else had been a blur. She had been wheeled into the birthing ward, him running shortly behind, and then the screaming had started in earnest.

* * *

><p>"'<em>...With that, the two, little shinobi fell asleep, holding their treasures to their hearts, waiting for dreams of new adventures to come.'" <em>Itachi finished quietly, snapping the children's book from his own childhood shut, gazing warmly down at the pair of baby boys in his lap. One had fallen asleep, leaning his head into Itachi's stomach, while the other was staring up at him with wide, curious eyes. At five months old, neither of his sons had a very long attention span, but he was not expecting much yet.

He looked up to see Sakura in the doorway, watching him with a mother's eye. She had trimmed down again after birthing the twins again, and even if most of the baby weight had been lost, she had still maintained the womanly curves from her pregnancy. Itachi, personally, was perfectly content with how her hips had widened graciously, and how her breasts had filled with milk to feed their children. In his opinion, she was more beautiful then than she had been before.

Rose-shaped lips curled into a smile. "You're so good with them. I'm almost jealous."

Mutedly, he watched as she stepped forward to pick up Masafumi, their first born by twelve minutes, and the one who had managed to stay awake through the story Itachi had just told. He shook his head to disagree wholeheartedly, watching through half-lidded eyes as she cradled the infant in her arms, cooing to him softly. Gently, he lifted Takahiro, the younger of the two, and crossed the room to place him in his crib before he woke again.

Sakura had already taken his place in the rocking chair by the time he turned from the sleeping infant. He observed as she lowered the strap of her sleepwear, revealing an ample breast before his son latched his small mouth onto her nipple to feed. She smiled down at Masafumi, the resemblance between him and his father unmistakable. He, and his brother for that matter, had the same shock of thick, raven hair as Itachi, along with the dark, imploring eyes she found so mesmerizing.

"They look _so _much like you," she muttered for what felt like hundredth time. Sakura did not need to look up to know he was wearing that smug expression of his.

He chuckled in response. "I told you that my genes were dominant."

She sighed, looking up at him hesitantly. Something had been pressing on her mind since the twins had been born. It was not that she was unhappy to have a beautiful pair of boys, because she loved them unconditionally. She still wanted a daughter though, and Itachi knew this as well as she did. They still had not talked about having another child, after only just having had _two _of them, but she knew she could not put off the conversation forever.

"Itachi, I want to wait a few years before having another baby." She said at last.

If he was at all surprised by what she had said, he did not show it. "You want to try for a girl," he commented lightly, watching as she turned a lovely pink color.

"I do," she agreed. "I want to give the boys the attention they deserve first, though, before even thinking about having another, and I want the next one to have the perfect two little protectors."

Itachi nodded his head, not questioning her thought process. "I have a condition of my own, before we have another child."

She was silent, as if waiting for him to tell her just _what _that condition was. He did not leave her hanging for very long. "I want you to marry me first, this time."

Sakura stared at him for a moment, only barely registering that he had just proposed to her, before her cheeks burned red. "I think that can be arranged," she grinned back at him.

* * *

><p><em>The End<em>

* * *

><p>AN: Gah... I finally finished it. Someone pointed out that my story line was similar to another ItaSaku fic, though that was unintentional, and I had not noticed it until they had pointed it out. It was very vaguely based off the movie <em>The Back-up Plan, <em>with JLo in it. I butchered that story so much though, it became something of my own, and the original inspiration is unrecognizable. I think.

Yeah, I'm not sure if Japanese people watch American baseball, but I just had to put my favorite team in there. (I love you Lincecum! GO GIANTS!) Itachi is officially a Giants fan now.

As always, thank you guys so much for the reviews. Please leave more for the starving artist! :)


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